US materials company Eastman is partnering outdoor brand Patagonia, using its clothing waste as the feedstock for Naia Renew, a wood-based cellulosic made with 40% waste material. 

The process involves breaking down Patagonia’s unusable apparel into molecular building blocks that Eastman can use to make new fibres. 

Natalie Banakis, materials innovation engineer for Patagonia, said: "We know apparel waste is a major problem, and consumers increasingly want better, more sustainable solutions when their most loved clothing reaches the end of its life.”

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