積木王國的進化與挑戰

丹麥經典玩具品牌樂高（LEGO）以其獨特的顆粒觸感、拼砌聲響與高度辨識度，深植全球數代孩童與家庭的記憶。近日，CBS News 罕見受邀走入樂高總部的員工限定博物館，得以從早期積木原型一路追溯至當代高度複雜的創作，窺見這家全球最大玩具企業的技術演進與文化影響。

LEGO, one of the world’s most iconic toy brands, is instantly recognizable by its tactile feel, distinctive clicking sound, and universal creative appeal. CBS News recently gained rare access to the company’s employee-only museum in Billund, Denmark, offering a comprehensive look at the evolution of LEGO - from its earliest bricks to today’s highly engineered creations.

這間博物館位於樂高創辦人 Ole Kirk Kristiansen 的故居旁，象徵品牌從丹麥小鎮起家的本質。LEGO 一詞源自丹麥語「leg godt」（好好玩），反映企業自 1930 年代以來秉持的教育性與創造力核心精神。館內展示的積木自 1950 年代起即具備現代積木系統的雛形，而 1955 年首度出現的「系統化小鎮模型」則奠定樂高跨世代通用的模組邏輯：任何時代製造的積木都能彼此相容，形成品牌獨特且持續擴張的「創造生態系」。

The private museum sits beside the home of founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a reminder of LEGO’s modest origins. The brand name itself, derived from the Danish phrase “leg godt” (“play well”), reflects the company’s long-standing ethos centered on creativity and purposeful play. Inside the museum are brick prototypes dating back to the 1950s, including the first fully assembled LEGO “system” town created in 1955. This concept - ensuring that every LEGO brick, regardless of when it was manufactured, can interconnect - has become the foundation of LEGO’s enduring creative ecosystem.

展覽品包含仍可正常運作的 1970 年代可動吊橋城堡、經典城鎮系列、仿真建築模型，以及近年在全球擁有龐大粉絲群的 Ninjago（旋風忍者）衍生作品。這些作品展示了樂高從基礎積木逐步演進到高度精密、故事性強的主題世界。

The collection includes vintage sets that still operate flawlessly,

such as a functional drawbridge castle from the 1970s,

as well as modern architectural replicas,

CBS News 也走訪知名的 LEGO House——一座近 13 萬平方英尺的體驗式樂高場館，內含超過 2500 萬顆積木，並以 600 萬顆積木打造的「創意之樹」為地標。館內約 700 名設計師負責開發全球新產品，樂高首位美國籍設計主管 André Doxey 表示，品牌的魅力來自「創造自由」，而非技術門檻。設計師 Milan Madge 則強調，即使現代設計流程逐漸數位化，他仍偏好用積木實作，以維持與創意的直接連結。

themed creations,

and designs from fan-favorite sub-brands like Ninjago. CBS News also visited LEGO House,

a 130,

000-square-foot experiential center filled with over 25 million bricks,

highlighted by the “Tree of Creativity,

” a landmark structure built from more than six million pieces.

然而，這家全球最高營收的玩具公司正面臨日益嚴峻的永續挑戰。

根據永續資料平台 illuminem，製造 1 噸樂高積木需耗用約 2 噸石化原料。

樂高每年生產約 600 億顆積木，以大型積木套組計算，其石化等量物質可達 60 磅以上。

Behind these creations is a design team of roughly 700 in-house specialists. André Doxey, LEGO’s first American Head of Design, emphasized that creativity - not technical skill - is what keeps LEGO relevant across generations. Design Master Milan Madge noted that while digital tools accelerate product development, physical building remains essential to maintaining a direct connection to the creative process.

雖然樂高曾承諾推動更環保的材料替代方案，但 2023 年中止了「寶特瓶回收材料製積木」計畫，因新材料雖循環，但製程反而可能提高碳排放。

Yet LEGO faces mounting sustainability challenges. According to data from the sustainability platform illuminem, manufacturing one ton of LEGO bricks requires roughly two tons of petrochemical-based inputs. With approximately 60 billion bricks produced annually, some of the company’s largest sets embody the equivalent of more than 60 pounds of petrochemical material. Despite ambitious climate pledges, LEGO has struggled to find viable sustainable alternatives. In 2023, the company abandoned its “bottles-to-bricks” initiative after discovering that recycled PET - although circular - would ultimately increase overall emissions during production.

樂高表示，公司已測試超過 600 種替代材料，包括甘蔗製生物基塑料與人工石材回收料，但多數替代物無法同時滿足耐久性、安全性與精密公差等技術要求。樂高強調，到年底將有 60% 的採購原料來自較永續的來源，但找到可全面取代 ABS 塑料的材料仍是一大難題。

LEGO stated that it has tested more than 600 alternative materials, including bio-based plastics derived from sugarcane and recycled material from artificial stone countertops. However, most candidates have failed to meet LEGO’s stringent requirements for durability, safety, longevity, and micron-level precision. The company maintains that it remains on track for 60% of its purchased materials to come from more sustainable sources by year-end, though a full replacement for ABS plastic remains elusive.

在全球玩具市場逐漸受到淨零排放與循環經濟要求的背景下，樂高的材料創新與永續策略正受到更多檢視。儘管如此，品牌仍持續演進，不斷在創造力、懷舊情感與環境責任之間尋求新的平衡。

Against a backdrop of rising global expectations around net-zero commitments and circular economy frameworks, LEGO’s materials innovation strategy is drawing increasing scrutiny. Nonetheless, the brand continues to evolve, striving to balance creativity, nostalgia, and environmental responsibility as it navigates the next era of the global toy industry.