Management of Chemical Substances in Products

Adoption of the AFIRM Restricted Substances List (AFIRM RSL)

ASICS has been a member of the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management Group (AFIRM) since 2015. The AFIRM Restricted Substances List (AFIRM RSL) is an industry-wide standard designed to improve compliance efficiency and reduce the burden on suppliers. As a general principle, we adopt the AFIRM RSL as our internal standard and manage restricted substances in our products.

Initiatives for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals commonly used in durable water repellent (DWR) treatments for textile and leather materials. However, some PFAS have been identified as carcinogenic or otherwise toxic and may pose risks to human health due to their persistence and bioaccumulative properties. In addition, PFAS do not readily degrade in the environment and have been recognized as environmental pollutants in the soil, water, and other environmental media. As a result, regulatory controls have been strengthened globally. In addition to C8-type PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS, broader PFAS restrictions have recently been introduced in Europe and the United States. Since 2016, ASICS has been progressively transitioning to PFAS-free durable water repellent (DWR) treatments. As a result, all products manufactured since 2020 have used PFAS-free DWR treatments.

Reducing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Footwear Manufacturing

Traditionally, solvent-based adhesives containing “Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)” have been widely used in the manufacture of athletic shoes. However, these solvents may have adverse impacts on people health and the environment. Since 2011, we have been reducing the use of solvent-based adhesives by transitioning to water-based adhesives. We have also actively adopted new production and design technologies that enable footwear to be manufactured with fewer components, further reducing the need for solvent-based adhesives.