On the southwestern coast of the United Kingdom on February 13, 1997, a shipping crate with 4.8 million LEGO pieces spilled into the ocean, resulting in the biggest toy-related environmental disaster of all time with long-lasting consequences. Dubbed “The Great LEGO Spill,” the container ship Tokio Express was following its usual trade route and on an important mission to deliver the precious plastic cargo from the Netherlands to New York. Recounted as a “once in a 100-year phenomenon” by the ship’s captain, a brick-breaking wave smashed against the vessel, plummeting 62 shipping crates into the sea!
Of the reported 4,756,940 dumped LEGO pieces, most were coincidentally water themed. This large mass of parts included 418,000 flippers (in blue, black, and red), 90,000 cutlasses, 50,000 sharks, 26,000 yellow life preservers, 13,000 spearguns (in red and yellow), and 4,200 black octopuses. These pieces were likely intended for Aquaraiders, Pirates, and Divers (a sub-theme of Town) sets.
Other non-nautical pieces included 353,262 foursomes of daisy flowers (in red, white, and yellow), 50,000 brooms, and 33,941 dragons (in black and green), likely meant for Fright Knights and Town sets.
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