Reusing bat material at Osaka Tennoji Zoo

Mizuno’s wooden baseball bats are made by craftsmen who carefully shave down the wood whilst repeatedly making minute adjustments. But even when a piece of wood seems fine at first glance, as it gets shaved down knots can be found. Knots can cause a bat to break when in use, therefore bats with knots cannot be sold as they are made of noncompliant materials.

Since they are natural materials,they sometimes fail to meet the strength and appearance standards of baseball bats. Mizuno does not dispose those and,instead, is thinking every day about how they can turn them into useful and valuable things.

Mizuno has donated 300 noncompliant-material bats to the Osaka Tennoji Zoo,Japan.
Those woods are used as perches for the sulphur-crested cockatoo, crossing posts for the pig-tailed macaques, and fencing in the zoo grounds.
Mizuno hopes the animals will feel the peace of mind that only natural materials can provide.

Mizuno has been engaging in environmental conservation activities since 1991, and aims to realize carbon neutrality by 2050. Mizuno wants to protect our planet, which belongs not only to people but also to other animals and living things, in order to pass it on to future generations.