Patagonia launches sustainable work tees made of Naia™ Renew ES

Eastman, maker of Naia™ Renew sustainable fibers and yarns, collaborates with Patagonia®, to launch PatagoniaWorkwear®’s line will feature a limited number of T-shirts manufactured with NaiaTM Renew ES, Eastman’s newest fiber offering with higher recycled content.

Naia™ Renew ES, which is named for its improved sustainability, contains 60% recycled material. This choice uses less virgin resources to create an eco-friendly product than other cellulose-based yarns and fibers. Molecularly recycled trash (40%) is combined with recycled cellulose (20%) and sustainable wood pulp (40%) to create Naia™ Renew ES.

The waste materials, textile waste, and non-cellulose obtained from forests make up the 20% recycled cellulose. This invention is the result of Eastman’s ongoing efforts to work with environmentally aware partners throughout the whole value chain. For instance, to incorporate sustainable forest fibers and non-forest fiber solutions into its feedstock, the Naia™ team has worked with GP Cellulose, a pulp provider with an emphasis on sustainability.

Eastman’s state-of-the-art molecular recycling process, which converts challenging-to-recycle wastes like plastic packaging and old carpet into basic building blocks to create the acetic acid required to create cellulose acetate yarn and fiber, accounts for the remaining 40% of recycled content. By finding a new application for pre- and post-consumer waste that cannot be recycled conventionally, this technique not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also diverts waste materials from landfills, incinerators, and other unpleasant end-of-life locations.

Ruth Farrell, general manager of Eastman textiles, said that Patagonia has always been a firm that picks its fibers thoughtfully and ethically. The partnership they’ve experienced with Patagonia has been essential in helping them create products that appeal to its clients, who value the environment and lead active lifestyles. Customers of Patagonia desire comfortable, high-quality clothes that express who they are and what they value.

For those who toil hard every day to make the world a better place to live, work, and produce, Patagonia’s Workwear range offers Fair Trade clothing. It has long-lasting, low-impact fibers that have a less carbon footprint.

Farrell added that people are more curious than ever about where and how their garments are created, with a focus on the materials used. Naia™ Renew ES is their solution to the growing plastic waste problem, the overconsumption of raw materials, and the increase of greenhouse gases brought on by deforestation. It’s a fabric with an eye toward the future that doesn’t sacrifice the quality of the garment or the sustainability of the planet.