Eliminating Hazardous Chemicals

For NIKE, chemical transparency is nonnegotiable. We require all suppliers to properly manage chemicals and meet Nike Restricted Substances List (RSL) and industry-wide Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) requirements. We expect all NIKE, Inc. products to pass RSL testing. To support our suppliers, we’ve built simpler and more transparent guidelines to realize the vision of zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. We’re scaling industry tools that assess RSL and MRSL compliance and collaborating across the industry to drive success and minimize suppliers working against conflicting requirements. Work is also underway in ZDHC to build guidance on chemicals related to air emissions, taking proactive steps to protect athletes and preserve the future of sport. We will quantify our impact and actively work to improve air quality where we manufacture around the world.

Nike aims to go beyond standard compliance expectations in our research, use and aspiration to replace 10 prioritized chemicals. We’re working to replace chemicals not covered by regulations or chemicals like bisphenols, used in receipt paper, and dimethyl formamide (DMFa), used in synthetic leather production, that don’t have specific replacement expectations because it’s the right thing to do.

Ultimately, we want to work with our suppliers to undertake this journey together. We have a collective opportunity to move beyond compliance and accelerate the adoption of clean, sustainable chemistry. We’re leveraging education, monitoring industry implementation, and advocating for progressive standards so we all move closer to the vision of circular, responsible design and manufacturing.

Choosing clean chemistry is complex. We need to weigh multiple variables to best protect people and the planet. That’s why we integrate chemistry selection deep into our product creation pipeline and use criteria to prioritize chemicals for action. These criteria include: science-based health and environmental risks; future legislative risk; volume and type of use; availability of alternatives; and schedule for identification, adoption, and scaling of alternatives.

The work required to replace or even reduce the use of a chemical that has been used in a material production process for decades cannot be underestimated. There is rarely a simple “drop-in replacement,” where a chemical can be replaced with a better one. Our 2025 target requires substantial redesign of manufacturing equipment, adjustment of chemical usage both upstream and downstream of the priority chemical, and major modifications in current designs. For example, we will consider different performance attributes and potentially alter the way that materials are produced. This is a profound opportunity that will require collaboration between NIKE, our suppliers, and other brands in and outside our industry.

Nike chemists are thinking ahead when they evaluate chemicals so materials we create today are best positioned to meet new, more stringent requirements in the future. Chemistry options are compared throughout the product creation process and collaboration spans designers, chemists, engineers, safety professionals, and more. We are also strengthening our chemistry assessments throughout the innovation pipeline. All of this is required to make the right chemistry selection for NIKE, our athletes*, the planet and the future.