Marchon Eyewear has announced that from 2021, it will begin to produce acetate sunglasses and ophthalmic frames using Eastman's Acetate Renew material. The company is
the first in the eyewear business to select Acetate Renew for the production of its proprietary and licensed brands frames.
Acetate Renew, produced via Eastman's innovative carbon renewal technology, is made from bio-based and certified recycled materials. Acetate Renew is a cellulose diacetate that consists of approximately 40% certified recycled content, while the remaining 60% is derived from renewable resources. It consequently offers lower greenhouse gas emission levels and fossil fuel usage compared to traditional acetate.
Currently, 80% of material used in sheet acetate frame production is scrap. Now, the scrap derived from Marchon's manufacturing of acetate frames will now be returned to Eastman and recycled by Eastman into new material. Eastman has developed a carbon renewal technology that is capable of recycling some of the most complex plastic waste. This includes non-polyester plastics and mixed plastics that cannot be recycled with conventional recycling technologies.
At Eastman, the carbon renewal process breaks down the scrap and mixed waste acetate into the original molecular building blocks, which are, in turn, used to create new acetate with high levels of certified recycled content that is identical in performance to standard acetate.
In this way, Eastman can produce circular products that are certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) by mass balance allocation.
"This collaboration with Marchon marks a significant milestone for advancing a circular economy for the eyewear industry," said Scott Ballard, vice president and general manager for Eastman Specialty Plastics.
As a further benefit, the partnership will help Marchon to meet consumer demand for more sustainable fashion. As Nicola Zotta, President and CEO of Marchon Eyewear pointed out: "It will significantly reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining our commitment to safety and sustainability without compromising the quality of our frames."