MYKITA and Eastman join forces to accelerate the transition to sustainable materials in the eyewear industry. From , leading independent eyewear brand MYKITA will exclusively source the sustainable Acetate Renew, produced by Eastman’s innovative molecular recycling technology. The decision marks an important milestone for both partners in their on-going strategies to continually lessen their environmental impact.
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“The partnership with Eastman and the quality of Acetate Renew is truly exciting for us as an independent brand and progressive manufacturer, allowing us to go all in and completely switch our acetate to this innovative sustainable option,” says MYKITA founder and creative director Moritz Krueger. “We’re proud to show that it’s possible and to set an industry example, as well as inspiring other brands to follow suit.”
Debuting at the LOFT 2022 Eyewear Show in New York, the new MYKITA ACETATE collection will be manufactured using Acetate Renew. For the customer, the switch will be seamless: Indistinguishable from conventional acetate in both appearance and performance, Eastman Acetate Renew1 is made from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp2 and 40% certified recycled content3 made via Eastman’s pioneering molecular recycling technology that breaks down plastic waste into fundamental building blocks to create new materials. By replacing traditional fossil resources with hard-to-recycle plastics, such as carpets, textiles, or even eyewear industry waste, molecular recycling diverts plastic waste from landfills and incinerators or from becoming litter in the ocean. Ultimately, Acetate Renew reduces harmful greenhouse gases by up to 50% compared to the traditional manufacturing process.
“MYKITA is known for being bold, and they are demonstrating it once again with their commitment to rapidly enhance the sustainability of their eyewear,” said Glenn Goldman, Eastman’s Commercial Director for Specialty Plastics. “We are proud that MYKITA has decided to switch its acetate entirely to Eastman Acetate Renew. They are showing that it is possible to make a quick and complete change with a sustainable offering for every frame starting today.”
Eastman is actively working on solutions, including the take-back program that recycles waste from the eyewear industry into new sustainable materials, such as Acetate Renew. MYKITA will be one of the first joining the program once it is up and running at scale in Europe to create true circularity in eyewear.
This first commercial collaboration between Eastman and MYKITA is a positive development for sustainability within the eyewear industry, demonstrating the tangible solutions and potential of circular technology. Further sustainability projects from both parties are in the pipeline.