LOUSIVILLE, Ken.—Kenmark Eyewear has announced a partnership with Eastman on creating ISCC certified eyewear using Acetate Renew material. The partnership will begin exclusively in Kenmark’s Paradigm collection; Kenmark is the first independent eyewear company to achieve ISCC PLUS certification in the U.S., and the launch of its ISCC certified Paradigm collection is expected in Spring 2022. ISCC, or the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, is the governing body that oversees sustainability compliance and contributes to the implementation of environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production. Kenmark has received an ISCC PLUS certification—ISCC PLUS is a sustainability certification program for circular (recycled) raw materials for all markets and sectors.

Eastman Acetate Renew is made with certified recycled material and bio-based materials sourced from renewable resources. This diverts plastic waste from landfills and incinerators while also reducing consumption of fossil feedstocks and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The ISCC certified product used in Paradigm will be created through a fully audited value chain, meaning that from the factory to brand level, the entire chain is ISCC certified. Kenmark is working with Mazzucchelli to produce the acetate; Mazzucchelli is the first acetate manufacturer to join the Eastman Acetate Renew project.

Jason Wehlage, Kenmark’s VP of product, said, “With the goal of being transparent and creating product of material featuring verifiable recycled materials based on mass balance approach in our Paradigm collection. We are thrilled to partner with Eastman and apply their Acetate and Tritan Renew technology in our next release.”
 
Marissa Cundiff, Kenmark’s VP of marketing, said, “I’m so excited to share we are ISCC certified and that our next Paradigm collection will be made with Eastman Acetate Renew. As a company we are committed to making mindful decisions regarding the environment and are always working to reduce our carbon footprint in all that we do. Being kinder to the environment and being mindful of the resources we use are really important to us, and being able to create product using 100 percent sustainable acetate flake from Eastman definitely feels like an amazing step in the right direction. We are so thrilled to be the first U.S. company to be ISCC certified and can’t wait to introduce our new collection early next year.”
 
Glenn Goldman, commercial director, Eastman Specialty Plastics, said, “We are pleased that Kenmark has chosen to gain ISCC PLUS certification and join the growing network of certified eyewear companies and producers around the globe offering frames made from Eastman Acetate Renew. Given Kenmark’s certification, their customers and consumers can be fully confident that when they buy Paradigm frames, they’re helping to keep waste plastic out of landfills and to reduce fossil fuel usage.”