MARCHON EYEWEAR, INC. AND EASTMAN COLLABORATE AGAIN BY INTRODUCING EASTMAN'S TRITAN™ RENEW FOR FRAMES AND TINTED LENSES

NEW YORK, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Marchon Eyewear, Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of quality eyewear and sunglasses, announced a new collaboration with Eastman, a global specialty materials company. Marchon will be the first global eyewear company to use Eastman's Tritan Renew for both frames and tinted lenses in the same eyewear in their sunwear collections across their broad portfolio of prestigious fashion, lifestyle, and sport brands.

Tritan Renew is a sustainable copolyester material powered by Eastman polyester renewal technology, a molecular recycling technology that transforms hard-to-recycle single-use waste into its basic building blocks so that they can be used to recreate pristine, durable, and high-performance materials, offsetting the use of fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

By adopting Tritan Renew for frames and tinted lenses applications, Marchon will be maintaining their commitment to sustainability bringing key benefits to consumers.

• Creating new life for old waste- By using as much as 50% certified recycled content*, Tritan Renew reduces landfill scrap, while lowering greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel usage compared to traditional materials, creating a circular production process
• Sustainability without compromise- Tritan Renew is indistinguishable from virgin, fossil-based materials, assuring wearers of the same durable, high-quality, superior frames and lenses they expect from Marchon Eyewear. In addition, lenses made with Tritan Renew are compatible with a wide variety of frames including those made from acetate.

"We are very proud to build on our partnership and continued collaboration with Eastman," said Nicola Zotta, President and CEO of Marchon Eyewear, Inc. "With Tritan Renew, we are able to offer customers more sustainable options in eyewear, without compromising the quality of our frames and lenses."

In the Fall of 2020, Marchon and Eastman announced their partnership using Eastman's Acetate Renew, a fully sustainable material produced via carbon renewal technology, another of Eastman's innovative molecular recycling technologies. Acetate Renew is made from 60% bio-based content and 40% certified recycled content* and is currently available in Marchon's Salvatore Ferragamo Responsible Eyewear Collection.  

"We are delighted to see our partnership with Marchon growing with the introduction of Tritan Renew, including its use for frames and lenses in the same eyewear." Said Glenn Goldman, Commercial Director, Eastman Specialty Plastics. "By adopting Tritan Renew for frames and lenses after having successfully launched collections in Acetate Renew, Marchon is scaling up their impact and showing real leadership in sustainability for the eyewear industry."

Beginning in 2023, Marchon will produce sunglasses and ophthalmic frames and tinted lenses with Eastman's Tritan Renew, further asserting Marchon's commitment to social responsibility and bringing more sustainable practices to the eyewear industry.

*Certified recycled content allocated using ISCC mass balance method

About Marchon Eyewear, Inc.
Marchon Eyewear, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of quality eyewear and sunglasses. The company markets its products under prestigious brand names including: Calvin Klein, Columbia, Converse, DKNY, Donna Karan, Dragon, Flexon, Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Lanvin, Liu Jo, Longchamp, Marchon NYC, MCM, Nautica, Nike, Nine West, Pilgrim, Pure, Salvatore Ferragamo, Shinola, Skaga, Victoria Beckham and ZEISS. Marchon Eyewear distributes its products through a global network of subsidiaries and distributors, serving over 80,000 accounts in more than 100 countries. Marchon Eyewear is a VSP Vision™ company, which is focused on its purpose of empowering human potential through sight and connecting its more than 85 million members to affordable, accessible, high quality eye care and eyewear. Marchon Eyewear has a proud history of commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives – EYES ON TOMORROW™ For more information, visit www.marchon.com and follow @marchoneyewear.

About Eastman
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company's innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2021 revenues of approximately $10.5 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information about Eastman's sustainability journey, visit eastman.eco

LINK TO DOWNLOAD TRANSLATIONS: https://marchon.box.com/s/0jtcufatw3cm4mwmcqjdb4nxlbatbazp 

SOURCE Marchon Eyewear, Inc.