Eastman, a producer of sustainably sourced Naia cellulosic yarn, has joined Textile Exchange, a global non-profit member organisation committed to reducing the textiles industry’s impact on the environment.

Natalia Allen, Eastman Textiles Sustainability Leader, participated in a roundtable discussion on biodiversity at the 2019 Textile Sustainability Conference, held in Vancouver, British Columbia, this month. The annual international gathering brought together brands, retailers and companies from across the textile world – all seeking to create a more sustainable and responsible fibre and materials industry. Naia was also featured in Vancouver at the C.L.A.S.S. booth.

Raising awareness

“I'm pleased to highlight Eastman's companywide commitment to sustainable forestry management as an example of how the company has integrated land and biodiversity considerations into its business model,” said Ms Allen. “And to raise awareness about Naia, a versatile, eco-friendly material for sustainable fashion.”

Naia is made from fully traceable and sustainably sourced wood pulp in a safe, closed-loop process where solvents are recycled into the system for reuse. Naia has an optimised, low-impact manufacturing process with a low tree-to-yarn carbon and water footprint, the company reports. Eastman and its wood pulp suppliers hold FSC and/or PEFC Chain of Custody certifications. Eastman has partnered directly with FSC to promote FSC Mix (FSC-C140711) for Eastman Naia cellulosic yarns.

Sustainability efforts

In addition to its Textile Exchange membership, Eastman joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Economy 100 to create solutions to enable a more circular economy. Eastman has also partnered with Canopy to collaborate on the conservation of the world’s ancient and endangered forests. Naia recently sponsored the Redress Design Award, the world's largest sustainability fashion design competition.

“We're delighted to become members of the Textile Exchange and collaborate in building solutions to help improve the environmental footprint of the textiles industry,” said Ruth Farrell, Eastman Global Director of Marketing for Textiles. “We look forward to working closely with Textile Exchange to build community and collectively drive transformation in materials, standards and responsible supply networks.”

www.eastman.com