GIANT sportswear brand Nike has committed to using only non-mulesed wool certified by the Responsible Wool Standard, global animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS said today.

In a change to Nike’s corporate social responsibility policy, the company’s Chemistry Playbook and Restricted Substances List (page 126) now says that it requires wool certified by the Responsible Wool Standard.

Nike Inc. is the world´s biggest sportswear brand, and FOUR PAWS said the decision is a huge milestone that it has been advocating  for its fight against mulesing for years. FOUR PAWS has had a campaign directed at Nike since 2022.

Through the FOUR PAWS campaign, more than 80,000 sports enthusiasts called on Nike to make the change, a decision that follows similar commitments by the Adidas and Puma brands.

FOUR PAWS said it continued to call on textile brands to phase out mulesing. Only non-mulesed wool can be certified with RWS. Mulesing is only practiced in Australia, the world´s biggest supplier of Merino wool, FOUR PAWS said.

FOUR PAWS  head of the wool campaign, Rebecca Picallo Gil, congratulated Nike on its commitment.

“With the upcoming mulesing season in Australia due to start, this news comes at a crucial time and sends a strong signal to the wool producers, being an influential brand with potential to inspire the entire apparel market.

“This win was only possible with the help of tens of thousands of supporters fighting together with FOUR PAWS for better animal welfare in the sports apparel market.”

Central to ongoing efforts to end mulesing in Australia, FOUR PAWS, Humane Society International Australia and RSPCA Australia have formed a key partnership that prioritises regular contact with major international brands such as Nike as well as numerous wool growers across Australia, in response to growing demand for non-mulesed wool.

The three organisations are encouraging the wool industry to fast-track the move away from mulesing through the uptake of better genetics to produce non-mulesed wool that aligns with global brand expectations and to satisfy growing consumer demands.