The Might Of The Brick: What Is LEGO® Made Of And How Strong Are LEGO® Bricks In 2026?

Last updated October 11, 2026

The Incredible Hulk of Toys: The Mighty Strength of LEGO® Bricks and the ABS Plastic They Are Made Of…

The ABS Advantage: The LEGO® Secret Sauce in Polymer Form

No, ABS isn’t some high-tech shield from a sci-fi flick; it stands for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. This plastic powerhouse was introduced in 1963, replacing the former and weaker cellulose acetate, and gives LEGO® bricks their resilient muscle, shine, and durability—allowing those bricks in your basement to last a lifetime!

Let’s Break Down Each Aspect of ABS and What It Does:

Acrylonitrile: It is a liquid at room temperature and, by chemical engineering standards, it is seriously volatile! It has a smell similar to the allium family (garlic, onion, shallots) and is not a safe chemical to handle without proper equipment.

Butadiene: A colorless gas that is quite flammable! It is used in the processing and creation of polymers—like rubber and plastic.

Styrene: It is another liquid like acrylonitrile, but instead of smelling like garlic, it smells quite sweet. This compound is also highly dangerous but is utilized to give LEGO® bricks their signature shine.

Now, please note: While all these chemicals are harmful and toxic on their own, together in the LEGO® manufacturing process, they are stable and produce the plastic brick we know and love.

The Future of ABS: LEGO® Goes Green by 2032

LEGO® is actively transforming its plastic formula with the goal of making its products from more sustainable materials by 2032. There is no fixed percentage target for that date, but LEGO® commits to raising the share every year. Using a “mass balance” approach, they’re integrating bio-based and recycled waste materials (including cooking oil!) into their production without sacrificing those 60-year-old durability standards we’ve come to rely on, though LEGO® can’t guarantee a set amount of sustainable content in any single set. LEGO® says 52% of the materials it bought to make LEGO® bricks in 2025 came from renewable and recycled sources, up from 33% in 2024, and that number covers all brick materials, not just ABS. They’ve also introduced bio-polyethylene made from sugarcane for softer, plant-like pieces, and every new brick still connects perfectly with bricks made decades ago. That’s superhero-level commitment to quality and the planet!

Please note, not every experiment sticks. In September 2023, LEGO® dropped its plan to make bricks from recycled plastic bottles (rPET) after the material failed to cut carbon emissions, proved less durable than ABS and lacked that all-important clutch power. LEGO® has tested over 600 materials and is still trying others, such as e-methanol-based plastics, but for now ABS, used in roughly 80% of the plastic pieces LEGO® makes each year, is still the plastic brick’s go-to material!

A Snap and Shine More Powerful Than Thanos

Every superhero has its power, and for LEGO®, it’s the signature “snap” of the little plastic brick. This patented interlocking connection of studs and holes means LEGO® bricks snap together with a grip LEGO® Spider-Man would envy. The force of friction keeps our bricks stuck together—held so firmly that sometimes you need a brick separator to get them apart.

And that shine—from a new set with brightly colored pieces, that iconic shine is incredible when you first unbox a set.

LEGO® Might Be Able to Support the Infinite Weight of Mjölnir

While we haven’t tried handing Mjölnir to a LEGO® Minifigure, a 2×2 brick can bear a staggering 432 kg (950 lbs). That’s like stacking 375,000 bricks into a tower reaching 3.5 km high before the bottom brick even thinks about giving up — in theory, anyway, since the engineers behind the test said a real tower would buckle long before it got that tall.

So how was this discovered? In 2012, Open University engineers testing for BBC Radio 4’s More or Less used a hydraulic ram to push 4,240 newtons of force onto a single 2×2 plastic brick until it finally started to deform. To give you a more reality-based perspective, that’s roughly the weight of a full-grown horse!

ABS Plastic Defies the Tests of Time

Like Captain America refusing to age with his super soldier serum injection, LEGO® sets can be passed down generations without losing their snap due to the granules and molds of the ABS. These bricks defy time, offering endless boxes of LEGO® to be passed down in families like a rite of passage.

LEGO® vs. Temperature and the Sun

Though prolonged sunbathing might give a LEGO® brick UV-fade (color fade), these bricks are generally indestructible in the face of Mother Nature. Built to last from the ABS, as long as they don’t receive prolonged exposure to the elements, they should be OK.

Water can be a different story, and while some LEGO® pieces can make for a nice aquarium design, getting LEGO® wet can cause them to grow mold—yuck!

ABS for a Lifetime Brick Saga

LEGO® strength is the result of literal decades of planning, experimenting, and testing a formula that lasts forever but is safe to be around all ages. LEGO® stands tall, not just as a toy, but as the ultimate symbol of playing well together.

Next time you wince from that unexpected LEGO® piece you step on and howl, remember: you’ve just stepped on a piece that can support the weight of an elephant!