The North Face Partners Launch ‘World First’ Sustainable Polyester Project

A consortium of seven global companies has jointly established what it claims is a “world-first” supply chain for more sustainable polyester.

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According to Finland-based energy company Neste, the partners—which include project owner Goldwin , Mitsubishi Corporation, engineering consultant Chiyoda Corporation, chemical manufacturer SK Geocentric, sustainable petrochemical firm Indorama Ventures , green chemists India Glycols and Neste—will use renewable and bio-based materials, as well as carbon capture and utilization, in manufacturing polyester fibers for The North Face in Japan.

Neste said it will provide renewable Neste RE, a raw material for polymers and chemicals made from bio-based materials like waste and residues like cooking oil , to replace fossil fuels as one of the required ingredients for polyester production.

Fossil feedstock can be replaced with Neste RE without any infrastructure changes, with plastics based on Neste RE of “identical quality” to those made from conventional feedstock, the sustainable aviation fuel producer said. By using renewable Neste RE, greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions drop by more than 85 percent when replacing fossil feedstock , the group added.

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The polyester fiber produced for the project will be used by the Japanese biotech firm for a portion of The North Face’s products, including sports uniforms , by this time next year. Following that, more Goldwin products and brands will “be considered,” Neste said.

The seven companies will employ a mass balancing approach to “ensure credible traceability of material streams” throughout the supply chain. The septet will jointly continue to “proactively promote” the defossilization of materials to contribute to a more sustainable society,” Neste said.

In March, The North Face teamed with a group from the United States Department of Energy to research polyhydroxyalkanoates ( PHAs ) as a nontoxic and biodegradable alternative to traditional petroleum-derived polyester.

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