US polyester specialist Eastman (Kingsport, Tennessee; www.eastman.com) has announced two separate collaborations for products made from its sustainable, bio-based materials.

Eastman has partnered with Marchon Eyewear (Melville, New York / USA; www.marchon.com), a maker of proprietary and licensed brand eyewear frames, to produce and sell frames made from Eastman’s “Acetate Renew” cellulose diacetate material, which is made from 40% certified recycled content and 60% bio-based content. Eastman’s “carbon renewal technology” recycling process, capable of handling some types of complex plastics waste, including non-polyester plastics and mixed plastics, will be used to recycle scrap sheet acetate from Marchon’s manufacturing of acetate frames. Marchon plans to produce sunglasses and ophthalmic frames using Eastman’s material beginning in 2021.

The polyester specialist also partnered with the biomaterials group of DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware / USA; www.dupont.com) to launch a fabric collection made from Eastman’s “Naia” cellulosic, bio-based fibers and DuPont’s “Sorona” line of high-performance biofibers that contain 37% plant-based ingredients. Blends of the Naia and Sorona fibers will allow designers to create garments with exceptional stretch and recovery, luxurious drape and a smooth, soft hand feel, Eastman said.