Naia, a New Fiber Produced from Waste Materials, Contributes to Circularity
Interview: Özge Çağıl Sütcü
Eastman, which aims to produce fiber by protecting nature and supporting sustainable production, launched the new Eastman Naia with the slogan ‘Sustainable style is your style’.
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. As Tekstil Teknoloji magazine, we interviewed with Carolina Sister Cohn Global Marketing Leader, Fibers, Eastman Chemical Company. The highlights of the interview, in which Naia’s establishment process, sustainability goals, the Turkish textile industry and many other topics were discussed, are as follows:
Eastman Naia™ debuted in 2017 at Premier Vision Paris. With a vision to make sustainable textiles accessible to all, Eastman Naia™ portfolio of cellulosic fibers and yarns provide responsibly sourced, biobased options that enable mills, designers, and brands to create eco-friendly textiles without compromising on quality, comfort, and appearance.
“Sustainable style your way” is the essence of Naia™
We believe that sustainable textiles should be inclusive to people’s needs without compromising nature and environment: Naia™ is a versatile fiber designed to create unlimited possibilities for sustainable style. Our filament yarn transforms into luxurious, soft, and easy-to-care-for fabrics for fashion and ready-to-wear brands, while our staple fiber creates eco-conscious blends that are supremely soft, quick-drying and consistently reduce pilling which are ideal for T-shirts, casual wear, sweaters, comfy pants and home textiles. “Sustainable style your way” is the essence of Naia™ brand, which has recently renewed its brand images to communicate to everyone everywhere in the world how these fibers are versatile and adaptable.
Another milestone in our history was set by the launch of Naia™ Renew, as this remarkable product takes sustainability a step further by incorporating materials derived from landfill waste and offers an innovative solution to one of the most pressing fashion issues: developing large-scale circularity. Produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified recycled waste materials, Naia™ Renew creates the same top-quality fabrics as traditional Naia™ fibers, but with a reduced carbon footprint of around 35%. Naia™ Renew process combines wood pulp with acetic acid obtained through Eastman’s exclusive Carbon Renewal Technology (CRT). The CRT converts hard-to-recycle packaging, dyed plastics, and discarded carpets, into molecularly recycled acetate. It is a brilliant example of sustainable innovation since it uses waste feedstock and converts it into biodegradable raw material.
Last year we introduced Naia™ Renew ES (Enhanced Sustainability) – our latest fiber offering made with 60% recycled content. Naia™ Renew ES is our answer to the overconsumption of raw materials, a growing plastic waste problem, and rising greenhouse gases caused by deforestation.
“Our goal is to create a brand based on trust and transparency”
With Naia™, Eastman strives to create a fashion future where sustainable textiles are the best and easiest option: so, sustainability is the only possible option for Naia™ and our goal is to create a brand based on trust and transparency. At Naia™, we have very much a holistic view of sustainability that ranges from origin to end of life: all products are produced in a closed-loop process with a low carbon and water footprint, and Naia™ is also TÜV AUSTRIA certified as biodegradable and compostable.
Traceability has always been a priority for us: we only use pulp from responsibly managed pine and eucalyptus forests and plantations, a process that is fully traceable and naturally involves replacement and replanting, as certified by the FSC Chain of Custody. Cellulosic fibers are a resource for the entire fashion industry only when they come from responsibly managed ecosystems, which is why we were recently proud signatories to FSC’s Fashion Forever Green Pact. We also hold the Canopy Dark Green Shirt certification, which ensures that we do not source from ancient and endangered forests
“We have set a target to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030”
We rolled out our Naia™ Sustainability Goals in 2020. We have mapped our sustainability goals according to the UN Sustainability Development Goals and we identified some core UN SDGs which we focus on. We want to proactively play our part in a healthy textile industry that mitigate climate change, mainstreams circularity and care for society.
To mitigate climate change, we have set a target to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of our Naia™ product portfolio by 40% by 2030.
One of our Naia™ Sustainability Goals in 2020 was to have an advanced track and trace solution in place by 2022. By collaborating with TextileGenesis™, we have met that goal.
For mainstreaming circularity, our sustainable solution is commercially available at scale, and we use a variety of waste for the recycled component of Naia™ Renew. And we are working to increase the amount of recycled content for Naia™. We will invest more than 75% of our textiles R&D resources in circular solutions by 2025. By this year, we will have more than 50% of the textile’s portfolio is Naia™ Renew, and by 2030, more than 90% of the portfolio is Naia™ Renew.
“We sponsor education and business setup programs for women-owned businesses”
Caring for society is integral to our values. We actively engage in advocacy efforts to protect forest ecosystems and support communities. Additionally, we sponsor education and business setup programs for women in fashion and women-owned businesses. We annually publish and strive to improve our inclusion and diversity metrics. We maintain a commitment to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals and use certified wood pulp in the manufacturing of our Naia™ fibers. Furthermore, we drive industry advancements in chemical usage and water quality in the production of man-made cellulosic fibers.
We work closely with global sustainability-focused organizations like Canopy, Textile Exchange, ZDHC, Accelerating Circularity etc.
“Naia™ has been confirmed to be compostable and biodegradable in the ocean”
As mentioned, all our fibers have been certified by TÜV AUSTRIA as compostable and biodegradable, also in the ocean, as strongly supported by a recently published ocean biodegradation study conducted by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), which takes a deeper look into the impact of sunlight and marine microorganisms on the rapid degradation of Naia™ (CDA) in the ocean. Compared to synthetic fibers, like polyester, cellulose acetate disintegrates in the ocean within just 11 weeks. This certification completes the Naia™ biodegradability profile for all natural and industrial environments, including soil, marine, and freshwater environments as well as composting in home and industrial settings.
“Turkey is a key target export region for us, developing new cooperation projects, Turkish companies”
We are present in most of the countries in the world that have a strong textile industry, as our target is to mainstream circularity and make sustainability inclusive for everyone. Turkey is definitely a key target export region for us.
Naia™ collaborates with some of the most important mills and players in this area and is really investing in successful partnerships with Asli Tekstil, Barutçu, Ekoten Tekstil, Finteks, Gülle Entegre Tekstil, La-Teks Tekstil, Nuryildiz Tekstil, Uslucan, Beztas Tekstil, BTD Tekstil, Karacasu Tekstil, Karsu Textile, Kipas Textiles.
Turkey is a nation strongly devoted to innovation and productivity, and despite the recent emergency it is a market that is bound to drive the entire industry. We are developing new cooperation projects with Turkish companies: we will share them in the near future!
Turkey has a huge potential to supply global international brands looking for a better and near shoring supply strategy. Mills need to fully embrace the sustainability strategy and invest in the development of fabrics with a true and reliable story. Technically the Turkish textile players are prepared to meet global brands requirements, so we need to accelerate the adoptions to make sustainable fashion a reality.
