Eastman announces expansion of Naia fibre portfolio at PV

“We are thrilled to expand our product offerings, and we have been working with a strong network of innovative spinner partners around the world to introduce our new Naia cellulosic staple fibre,” said Ruth Farrell, global marketing director of textiles for Eastman. “Working with our value chain partners, we’re facilitating quick and easy access to Naia fibres for our mills, and ultimately brands, regardless of their location.”

Naia staple fibre has inherent softness, is quick drying and reduces pilling. It blends well with other eco-friendly materials, such as lyocell, modal and recycled polyester—to produce sustainable fabrics and garments that are ideal for everyday wear.

Eastman will be working with several best-in-class spinners worldwide to create Naia staple fibre, including Karacasu Tekstil in Turkey, Shandong Long Run Textile and Dezhou Huayuan Eco-Technology on Mainland China, Pratibha Syntex and RSWM Ltd in India and Linz Textil in Austria. These industry-leading spinners blend Naia staple fibre with other sustainable fibres to meet the needs of manufacturers across the globe.

Naia is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed pine and eucalyptus forests and plantations. Eastman has aligned its entire forestry supply chain with Forest Stewardship Council sourcing standards, including controlled wood procedures. Eastman and its wood pulp suppliers hold FSC (C140711) and/or PEFC Chain of Custody certifications. Furthermore, Eastman has partnered with Canopy to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to sustainable forestry management. The recently released 2019 Hot Button Ranking and Report shows Eastman’s commitment to sustainable forestry management, as the company has been reported to have zero risk of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests.

Produced in a safe, closed-loop process where solvents are recycled back into the system for reuse, Naia is made through optimised, low-impact manufacturing. Naia has a low tree-to-fibre environmental footprint and a third party-reviewed life-cycle assessment compliant with ISO 14044. Naia is also certified as biodegradable in freshwater and soil environments and is compostable in industrial settings, having received the ‘OK biodegradable’ and ‘OK compost’ conformity marks from Tuv Austria. Most recently, Naia staple fibre received the ‘OK compost’ certification for home settings.

Eastman is a global specialty materials company that leverages innovation, technology and application development to grow its leading positions in end-markets such as agriculture, transportation, building and construction, and consumables.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PC)