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The relentless rise of the second-hand economy

When Lego started testing a service to receive and reuse second-hand bricks, the Danish toymaker soon ran into a problem: People would send in other things as well. Soda cans, shoes, lots of hair – all came mingled with the iconic plastic bricks, according to a senior executive.

When Lego started testing a service to receive and reuse second-hand bricks, the Danish toymaker soon ran into a problem: People would send in other things as well. Soda cans, shoes, lots of hair – all came mingled with the iconic plastic bricks, according to a senior executive. Worst of all: Workers once opened a Lego treasure chest to find an entire set of children’s teeth in it.