News

MAGIC TAPE
MAGIC TAPE
NEW ECOMAGIC
NEW ECOMAGIC

Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka; President: Mitsuhiko Takaoka) produces and markets MAGIC TAPE hook and loop fastener. On July 1, Kuraray Fastening announced that two products in its lineup, standard MAGIC TAPE and NEW ECOMAGIC, had been certified to bear the EcoLeaf Label by the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry, which is overseen by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Only 267 products have been certified for the EcoLeaf Label, and these products are the first in both the textile and hook and loop fastener industries.

The EcoLeaf Label displays quantitative environmental data covering the entire product lifecycle, from procurement of resources through manufacturing, distribution, use, disposal, and recycling, based on a lifecycle assessment (LCA). The label provides the consumer with objective information on a product's environmental impact (contribution to global warming, energy consumption, etc.), and is intended to promote the proliferation of environmentally sensitive products.

MAGIC TAPE and other hook and loop fasteners use polyurethane resin to reinforce the back of the tape. This helps maintain holding power and makes the tape more resistant to fraying in the washing machine. The type of polyurethane resin ordinarily used requires the use of organic solvents to adjust its viscosity.

In February 2002 Kuraray Fastening developed an eco-friendly MAGIC TAPE product that uses no solvents in its manufacturing process, substituting instead a solvent-free coating material. The Company's R&D in this area continued to advance, and in July 2004 they established a new manufacturing method that provides high quality without using polyurethane resin at all. As a result, NEW ECOMAGIC went on sale in August 2004 in Japan.

Environmental data for standard MAGIC TAPE and NEW ECOMAGIC shown on the EcoLeaf Label is shown below.

  Standard MAGIC TAPE NEW ECOMAGIC
Greenhouse impact(CO² conversion) 332g 259g
Acidification impact(SO² conversion) 0.534g 0.399g
Energy consumption 5.53MJ 4.68MJ
Principal material Nylon Polyester
Type Hook and loop Hook and loop
  • * Data are cumulative for the product's lifecycle.
  • * Environmental impact is for one meter of hook and loop tape 25mm wide.

Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd.

1. Headquarters 1-12-39, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8611, Japan
2. President Mitsuhiko Takaoka
3. Capital ¥100 million
4. Number of employees 120
5. Business activities Development, manufacturing, and sales of MAGIC TAPE hook and loop fastener, MAGILOCK extrusion molded hook fastener, and related products.