TEXTILES.ORG
YKK Corporation has announced that the global sales share of its NATULON® zipper series, which incorporates recycled materials, has exceeded 50%.
YKK began the full-scale global switchover to NATULON products in fiscal year (FY) 2021, and with the support of customers worldwide, the switchover ratio reached 56% by the end of FY2025.
As reducing environmental impact across the apparel supply chain becomes an industry-wide challenge, NATULON® zippers use recycled materials derived from waste, helping to reduce reliance on new fossil resources. In addition, compared with a standard YKK coil zipper, the #3 20 cm NATULON closed-end coil zipper has been shown to emit approximately 19.6% less greenhouse gas during production, based on lifecycle assessment results.
In FY2019, before the switchover, NATULON sales accounted for just 3% of the total volume. In FY2020, YKK set company-wide targets under its Sustainability Vision 2050 and began accelerating a global transition to more sustainable textile materials.
“Because YKK employees all over the world came together as one with high aspirations and worked to drive the switchover forward, this significant achievement was made possible. Going forward, we will aim to create a circular society for apparel by further increasing the share of NATULON series zippers in global sales, as well as developing zippers that can be easily recycled along with the garments themselves. As a true sustainable partner that goes beyond being a manufacturer of parts, we will continue working alongside our customers to help build a circular economy,” says Yasuhiro Sato, vice president, product strategy division, global sales headquarters at YKK.