Butterfly’s Efforts to Effectively Utilize Wood Resources

This article is translated from a Japanese domestic publication.

At Butterfly, we specialize in the manufacturing and sales of table tennis equipment. As you may know, table tennis blades are mostly made of wood.
This wood reaches us thanks to the dedication of forestry workers who operate under various environmental conditions.
We had the opportunity to visit a forest and learn about the forestry industry. The forestry industry is more challenging than we had imagined. In some countries, steep slopes and narrow mountain roads make it impossible for machinery to operate, requiring manual labor instead. Therefore, accidents causing injuries and fatalities are not uncommon, with one in every 100 workers suffering an injury severe enough that results in four or more work days lost.

In addition, wood, a natural material, takes a very long time to grow. The hinoki cypress trees used by Butterfly are over 400 years old, meaning they were planted around that time. Because it takes so long to grow, diligent management such as thinning and replanting are essential. Despite this lengthy growth period, the wood is sold at very low prices after being harvested. Even a log that has taken 50 years to grow is sold for only about USD 25. This harsh reality makes it very difficult to turn a profit, and the incomes of forestry workers are not quite sufficient.

Due to these challenges, the number of forestry workers in Japan is declining and those currently working in the field are aging. Through our visit to the realities of forestry, we have come to deeply appreciate the value of wood more and have developed a stronger resolution to using it more carefully.



Blade production requires a large amount of wood.
On the other hand, we face the challenge that a significant amount of wood goes unused in our manufacturing process. Although we source various types of wood, sometimes for a particular type, up to half of the wood ends up not used.

However, there has been a longstanding call to cherish resources and work toward a sustainable society. Learning about the realities of the forestry industry, we have deepened out awareness how precious wood truly is.
As a result, we have revisited our corporate stance and are strengthening our commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As many of you may know, the term "SDGs" frequently mentioned these days refers to Sustainable Development Goals. These are specific goals that must be met by 2030 to ensure that humanity can continue to live sustainably on Earth.

When considering a sustainable world, deforestation is a major issue. Although there are regional differences, deforestation is progressing on a global scale. When forests are destroyed, various problems occur, such as global warming, desertification, ecosystem collapse, and flooding. From this perspective, it is necessary to use wood carefully.

Among the 17 SDGs, there are goals particularly relevant to Butterfly that align with our mission as a manufacturing company that uses natural materials. To contribute to a sustainable society, we have strengthened our efforts in these areas.

With this mindset, Butterfly has been making more efforts to utilize surplus materials for several years. We have been experimenting with ways to utilize wood that could not be used in our products to reduce waste.

Wood that could not be used for competitive table tennis blades was instead repurposed to produce commemorative items such as binders, hand mirrors, pen cases, and fridge magnets for everyday use. These items are distributed as novelties, such as participation prizes at competitions.

In a unique Butterfly way, we also repurposed unused wood to mini table tennis blade craft sets. We prepared plates and handles that are smaller compared to competitive table tennis blades, along with decorative tags for the handles, and held several events at competition venues and other event locations both in Japan and internationally, allowing participants to engage in craft experience firsthand. The surface of the blade can be freely customized through drawing or stamping, creating memorable and personalized mementos.

We also repurposed unused wood for musical instruments. In collaboration with a musical instrument manufacturer, we produced ukuleles with meticulously refined shapes and details. Although not for sale, we have given these away as prizes at competitions.

There are many who have taken an interest in these efforts to utilize surplus materials. In recent years, we have even received requests from junior high and high schools to talk about our efforts in utilizing surplus wood, and we have carried out several educational activities related to this topic. We have provided opportunities for students to handle the wood firsthand. Through these initiatives, we have received a lot of admiration, joy, and smiles from many people. We believe we are carrying out meaningful activities for both the earth and the people involved.

Therefore, through these efforts to utilize surplus wood, we aim to make even more effective use of wood, a valuable natural resource.

Because wood is a natural material, it has a variety of unique patterns, such as a thread-like pattern or a knot pattern, making each piece different. Butterfly intends to actively use wood with these distinctive patterns in the future.

Some customers of Butterfly products might worry that the use of such wood could affect product performance. Butterfly has been paying close attention to this concern and conducted performance evaluations in our Research and Development Department. Rest assured, the pattern of the wood does not affect the performance of the blade.

Butterfly will continue to provide high performance products and blades, and we sincerely appreciate your continued support.

We will continue to commit to treating natural materials with care and manufacturing environmentally friendly products.