TOKYO - Toray Industries has developed a new variant of its Ultrasuede fabric, which partially consists of 100% plant-based polyester.

The new variant has been selected by Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA), which will use the material for headrest covers in its ANA Green Jet from November this year.

The new variant, Ultrasuede nu, is a nonwoven material that offers a genuine leather appearance with a base material of Ultrasuede and a special resin treatment applied to its surface.

It is the first Ultrasuede product that partially consists of 100% plant-based polyester for the ultra-fine fibres on the surface of the base material. In addition, about 30% plant-based polyurethane is used inside the nonwoven structure, and about 30% plant-based polyester is used in the reinforcement fabric called scrim, making this developed product the world’s highest level of plant-based raw material content for the nonwoven material for a genuine leather appearance, Toray says.

According to ANA, it selected Ultrasuede nu because it has been created as an environmentally conscious material that combines luxurious texture, design, and high functionality. As far as possible, the Green Jet fleet of aircraft is using products and services made using sustainable materials to embody the ANA 'Future Promise', a slogan for the carrier’s commitment to realizing a sustainable society and enhancing corporate value.

Toray is developing 100% plant-derived polyesters in line with efforts to make its mainline polymers biobased to help materialize a carbon-neutral, circular economy that does not depend on fossil resources. "Since the world's first commercial production of Ultrasuede, using plant-based recycled resources as part of its raw materials in 2015, we have been focusing on the development of eco-conscious products and will continue to develop products using higher plant-based raw material," Toray said.