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Sustainability & Recycling

From 3% To 56% - YKK Scales Recycled Zippers Globally

• By  Textile Excellence
• April 30, 2026

YKK Corporation has crossed a major milestone: over 50% of its global zipper sales now come from its recycled-material line, NATULON® zipper series. That number stood at just 3% in 2019. By FY2025, it’s hit 56%.

This isn’t a sudden pivot. YKK has been quietly working on resource-efficient manufacturing for decades, with NATULON® development going back to 1994. What’s changed is scale and speed. Since 2021, the company has pushed a full global switchover, without compromising on quality or supply consistency.

NATULON® products use recycled inputs, cutting dependence on virgin fossil resources. Lifecycle assessments show that a standard NATULON® coil zipper can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20% compared to conventional versions.

YKK’s approach goes beyond swapping materials. It’s about rethinking the role of a component supplier, from selling parts to enabling circularity. The next step: zippers that can be recycled along with the garment itself.

Backed by its “Cycle of Goodness” philosophy, YKK is betting that small components can drive big change.

Says Yasuhiro Sato, Vice President, Product Strategy Division, Global Sales Headquarters, YKK Corporation: “YKK teams worldwide came together with a clear ambition to drive this transition, and that’s what made this milestone possible. From here, our focus is on accelerating a circular apparel ecosystem: expanding the share of NATULON® zipper series in global sales and developing zippers that can be recycled along with the garment itself. We aim to go beyond being a parts supplier and work closely with our customers to help build a truly circular economy.”

Says Yasuhiro Sato, Vice President, Product Strategy Division, Global Sales Headquarters, YKK Corporation: “YKK teams worldwide came together with a clear ambition to drive this transition, and that’s what made this milestone possible. From here, our focus is on accelerating a circular apparel ecosystem: expanding the share of NATULON® zipper series in global sales and developing zippers that can be recycled along with the garment itself. We aim to go beyond being a parts supplier and work closely with our customers to help build a truly circular economy.”