Mitsui Chemicals and ARTNATURE Team up to Produce Eco-Friendly Wigs
Switch to using biomass-based materials for wig molds will help reduce waste and CO2
2025.02.18
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
ARTNATURE INC
Comprehensive chemical manufacturer Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: HASHIMOTO Osamu) and comprehensive hair service provider ARTNATURE INC. (Tokyo: 7823; Chairman & President: IGARASHI Yoshikata) today announced a February 2025 start date for production of custom-made wig molds using biomass urethane, in an effort to help create a sustainable society.
■ Molds for producing custom-made wigs
Custom-made wigs are manufactured to fit the shape of each individual’s head. Precise measurements of the person’s head shape are taken using a 3D scanner, after which urethane is trimmed to produce a mold of the same shape. As a mold with accurate dimensions is fundamental to the production of a wig that fits comfortably on the head, urethane has been the material of choice for these molds, due to its outstanding dimensional stability and the ease with which it can be trimmed. The cap that forms the wig’s base is fabricated to fit the shape of the mold, with hairs then added to the cap to produce the finished wig.
Wig production process
■ Environmental benefits of biomass-based materials
While petroleum-derived urethane has conventionally been used to produce custom-made wig molds, switching to a biomass-based material has reduced both the quantity of waste and the volume of CO2 emissions when incinerated. Derived from non-edible castor oil, the new material has 20 percent biomass content and is expected to reduce waste by 12 tons and CO2 emissions by 70 tons*—roughly half the current level—annually.
*Figures calculated by Mitsui Chemicals based on information supplied by ARTNATURE.
Collaboration across sectoral boundaries will be essential in order to achieve carbon neutrality and create a circular economy. We will continue to grow and develop sustainably together with society through the realization of a recycling-oriented society in harmony with the environment.
