Eastman, the maker of sustainably sourced Naia™ cellulosic filament yarn, announces the expansion of its Naia™ fiber portfolio at Première Vision-Paris (PV), the international fashion and textile exposition, Feb. 11-13. With the introduction of its new cellulosic staple fiber, Naia™ offers another versatile eco-conscious material choice for sustainable fashion.

“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 fiber,” 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™ fibers for our mills, and ultimately brands, regardless of their location.”

Naia™ staple fiber 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 fiber, 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 fiber with other sustainable fibers 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 optimized, low-impact manufacturing. Naia™ has a low tree-to-fiber 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 TÜV AUSTRIA. Most recently, Naia™ staple fiber received the “OK compost” certification for home settings.

Source: Textile World