Neste introduces a renewable resource for bionylon
Finnish chemicals company Neste produces a renewable naphtha, known as RE, which is derived from used cooking oils, among other waste and residues. It is the building block for a new supply chain for the production of a biobased nylon in a partnership between Japanese companies Goldwin, Toray Industries and Idemitsu Kosan. The biopolyamide will be introduced in The North Face’s collections, made by Goldwin, starting this August.
Presented as a “seamless drop in solution” Neste RE is said to offer the same performance characteristics as petrochemical nylon. Partners in the supply chain apply a mass balance approach to ‘certify’ renewable content. Neste said that the use of unblended renewable Neste RE could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the raw material by 85%, based on a 2021 life cycle assessment.
This is the second time that Neste is developing a low-carbon solution for Goldwin and The North Face, following a similar partnership in July 2024 for a biobased polyester.
See our feature on mass balancing here.
Photo courtesy of Neste
