Sustainable Products

Basic Concept

Toward the achievement of its medium- to long-term environmental targets, Mizuno conducts life cycle assessment (LCA) for representative products in each product division. They analyze and understand the environmental impact throughout the entire life cycle of the products, from the procurement of raw materials to disposal, and promote the mitigation of the environmental impact across the entire life cycle.
In procuring raw materials, Mizuno selects recycled materials and plant-based materials. It is also committed to extending products lifespans by increasing their durability and providing high-quality maintenance and repair services.
Additionally, in the construction and operation management of sports facilities, Mizuno proposes environmentally friendly methods to clients and contractors, such as reducing waste materials and using recycled materials.

Efforts to Reduce Environmental Impacts Throughout the Product Life Cycle

In 2023, Mizuno participated in Osaka Prefecture's "Supply Chain-wide CO2 Emissions Visualization Model Project," calculating and reporting CO2 emissions related to the carbon footprint (CFP) in the apparel and equipment sectors. Given the wide variety of products that Mizuno manufactures and sells, it is essential to establish a method that balances accuracy with operational workload. Moving forward, we will continue to advance our life cycle assessment (LCA) and CFP analyses, and work towards reducing environmental impact.

Use of Raw Materials and Recycling

At Mizuno, due to the wide variety of products we offer, it is difficult to list all the types of raw materials used in manufacturing. Therefore, we report on the main raw materials used in our key products. These include plant-derived and recycled materials.

In addition to using these materials in traditional shoes and apparel, we are also expanding the use of recycled materials to baseball equipment and healthy interior products.

Representative Examples	Recycled Materials
Equipment	Aluminum from decommissioned train cars is repurposed into metal baseball bats. Seat fabric from retired trains is reused in training equipment. Recycled polyester is used for the lining of team-use backpacks, such as those for baseball.
Footwear	Recycled polyester is used in the uppers. Plant-derived materials (Pebax® Rnew® / Rilsan®) are used in the wave plates. Undyed knit materials are used for the uppers. Algae-based material “BLOOM” is used in the midsoles and insoles.
Apparel	Materials made from recycled PET bottles. Plant-derived synthetic fibers. Biodegradable synthetic fibers. Materials that reuse rice husks.

Research into the Development of Environmentally Friendly Raw Material

Mizuno conducts research into the development of non-petroleum-derived raw materials as a substitute for petroleum-derived raw materials. Mizuno currently puts effort into conducting research into the development of plant-derived raw materials, and it sees nanomaterials, such as cellulose nanofibers, as being promising candidates.

Mizuno and KANEKA Jointly Develop the World's First^*1 Biodegradable Artificial Turf Series for Sports Applications

Mizuno Corporation and KANEKA Corporation have jointly developed a new biodegradable artificial turf series consisting of indoor artificial turf blades and infill material made from KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet™^*2.
By promoting the adoption of this biodegradable artificial turf series at sports facilities, commercial facilities, and other venues across Japan, the companies aim to help address environmental pollution issues that may adversely affect ecosystems and human health. The series utilizes a resin material that biodegrades in the ocean and therefore does not contribute to marine plastic pollution.
In addition, KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet™ is a 100% plant-derived resin, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and dependence on petroleum-based resources.

*1 World's first marine-biodegradable artificial turf using Green Planet™ (based on research conducted by KANEKA and Mizuno, as of June 2025).

*2 A biomass-derived biodegradable biopolymer developed by KANEKA Corporation.

Indoor Long-Pile Artificial Turf and Biodegradable Infill Material

Cross-Sectional Illustration of the Artificial Turf System

Mizuno and KANEKA Develop the World's First Ocean-Biodegradable Artificial Turf to Combat Marine Pollution

Details of the Biodegradable Artificial Turf Series

Mizuno Wins Gold in the “Use & Reduce” Category at the PLASTICS Smart (PlasMa) Award 2026

The Ministry of the Environment promotes “Plastic Smart,” an initiative that encourages smarter use of plastics and highlights a wide range of efforts aimed at solving the marine plastic pollution problem. Among these initiatives, Mizunoʼs sports and landscaping artificial turf yarns and infill materials^*3, which use resin that biodegrades even in marine environments, received the Gold Award in the “Use and Reduce” category of the Plasma Award 2026, which recognizes particularly outstanding initiatives.

*3 The “Re Green Grass UMI” series and the “Field Chip UMI” series.

Development of New Knit Fabric for Competitive Swimming: Friendly to Both Swimmers and the Environment

Competitive swimsuits continue to evolve through constant product development to meet the needs of users who want to “swim faster.” In particular, fabrics used in tech suits are treated with water-repellent finishes to reduce water resistance, while surface textures and processing methods are also carefully engineered.
However, when developing environmentally friendly products, the use of commonly adopted recycled polyester yarn and PFAS-free water-repellent^*1 is said to increase costs and lower performance, making it difficult to achieve both required performance characteristics and environmental friendliness.
Therefore, through co-creation with Toray Industries, Inc., Mizuno has developed a fabric that realizes greater environmental friendliness than ever before while achieving even lower resistance.

*1 Water-repellent that does not contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Water repellency of the new material

The new fabric, named “Stream Fit Ribtex,” received high praise and was awarded the 2024 Good Design Award. Subsequently, the tech suit using “Stream Fit Ribtex” was named “GX・SONIC STREAM” and is scheduled for release in September 2025.

Recipient of the Good Design Award 2024

Enhancing Product Durability Through Product Design

Extending the Life of Baseball Spikes with Cemented Carbide Components

As part of its sustainability initiatives, Mizuno is promoting longer product lifespans. For baseball cleats, the company is working to extend the overall durability of the shoes by improving the wear resistance of the metal studs.

While embedded-style studs remain the mainstream choice and deliver strong performance, they present a challenge: once the studs wear down, the entire shoe needs to be replaced. To address this, Mizuno has adopted a special welding method for some custom-order cleats^*1, attaching cemented carbide tips - materials also used in space development equipment and tunnel boring machines - to the ends of the studs. This results in significantly enhanced durability^*2 compared to conventional studs.

By reducing the need to replace shoes when only the studs are worn out and the rest of the shoe is still usable, this initiative helps reduce waste. Through extending the service life of its shoes, Mizuno aims to reduce environmental impact.

*1 As of October 2025, applicable to resin-soled cleats in the Mizuno Pro Order and Global Elite Order series.

*2 Based on Mizunoʼs internal research.

Future Challenges

Of the entire amount of GHG emissions that Mizuno's business activities currently generate, indirect emissions that fall into the category of Scope 3 account for about 97%. Particularly, because about 80% of those indirect emissions are related to purchased products and services, Mizuno recognizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through their products. We will continue to promote product planning and development aimed at reducing GHG emissions.