Andy Wolf’s new recycled acetate
We are the first independent eyewear brand from German-speaking Europe to switch its acetate collection to the new, most sustainable acetate in the industry. ANDY WOLF has received the ISCC Plus certification and thus qualified for the Acetate Renew program from Italian acetate producer Mazzucchelli and U.S. chemical specialist Eastman.
Sustainability is a key pillar of ANDY WOLF. We have always taken responsibility for people and nature – with local production in Hartberg, Austria and in the French Jura; with the company’s own wildflower meadow, where eight bee hives have found their home; and with the brand new e-filling station that has just been completed at the headquarters. This just to name a few examples. At ANDY WOLF, sustainability means constantly taking small and larger steps into the right direction.
ANDY WOLF is the first independent eyewear brand from German-speaking Europe to receive the ISCC Plus certification and thus to qualify for the new Acetate Renew program of the Italian acetate producer Mazzucchelli & U.S. chemical specialist Eastman.
The ISCC Plus certification is obtained through the global International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) organization, which offers the leading certification system for raw material and product sustainability and traceability throughout the supply chain. This certification is a basic requirement for participation in Eastman’s Acetate Renew program. It is necessary to guarantee the origin of the raw materials used. It ensures traceability throughout the supply chain and prevents greenwashing.
Conventional cellulose acetate is widely used in the premium eyewear industry. It is skin & environment friendly, biodegradable and recyclable. Cellulose acetate is a polymer of natural origin. It is derived from renewable sources such as certain tree species, from responsible forestry, and cotton linters. Traditional plasticizers are added to improve physical properties and processability.
Acetate Renew is the result of an Eastman project that covers the entire production cycle. The U.S. company, a global specialty chemicals company, has developed a way to obtain the raw material for the production of acetate sheet through molecular recycling of plastic waste – such as cosmetic packaging, carpets, sportswear with a high plastic content and acetate scraps. By recovering plastic waste materials, a powder is obtained that is the raw material for the production of new cellulose acetate sheet. Acetate Renew offers the same performance as conventional acetate. It is a cellulose diacetate made from 60% bio-based and 40% certified recycled raw material. Compared to the traditional acetate manufacturing process, there is a significant reduction in greenhouse gases and tons of waste do not end up in landfills, but are returned to the product cycle.
ANDY WOLF will gradually switch to Acetate Renew starting in 2022. ANDY WOLF plans to produce 23% of the entire acetate collection from sustainable material by the end of 2022, and 75% of all acetate frames will be made from Acetate Renew by the end of 2025.