Unifi, the Greensboro, NC-based company that makes Repreve recycled polyester, has launched two new products in its portfolio of what it calls “regenerated performance polyester.”
Powered by its proprietary Textile Takeback process, Unifi now offers white-dyeable filament yarn and an insulation material called ThermaLoop. The company said the two products represent “a major leap forward in scalable textile-to-textile recycling” technology.
“Polyester is the most widely utilized fiber on the planet, and it’s time for transformative change,” said Eddie Ingle, Unifi CEO. “Textile brands can now create solutions with the entire product life cycle in mind and work toward achieving their 2030 environmentally preferred materials targets. Our goal is to provide the best-in-class sustainable products that eliminate the need for virgin materials and reduce carbon emissions.”
The products are made from 100% recycled polyester feedstock, with at least 50% of it textile waste (as opposed to the broken-down plastic water bottles that typically make up recycled polyester). Unifi notes that the recycled feedstock percentage refers to the base polymer the company uses and doesn’t include additives or colorants.
Unifi’s Textile Takeback process recycles both global postindustrial and postconsumer textile waste into next-generation materials using proprietary technology. Unifi said it will partner with global brands to take back their waste and keep materials in circulation longer to further enhance “value throughout the supply chain.”
The new circular Repreve filament yarn is a white dyeable high-performance polyester that can be enhanced with Unifi technologies like anti-odor, moisture management and stretch. Similar to Repreve’s black filament yarn and black and white staple fibers, the new yarn contains the inherent FiberPrint tracer technology, so anyone on the supply chain can verify that it’s certified recycled material.
ThermaLoop insulation, available in down-like fiber, fiberball and padding, is a low-melt fiber that enables production of 100% recycled synthetic padding.
The two new products are both available globally and can be integrated seamlessly into existing supply chains without disruption, according to Unifi. This commercial scalability tackles a key challenge for polyester-reliant industries, particularly fashion brands, which have long sought to create circular apparel to meet sustainability goals, the company adds. The products are part of Unifi’s goal to recycle 1.5 billion T-shirts’ worth of textile waste by 2030.
Unifi’s Repreve recycled polyester is used extensively in the promotional products industry, in everything from quarter zips to reusable grocery totes. Using its proprietary recycling technology, Repreve leverages multiple waste sources, including single-use plastic bottles, ocean-bound plastic, textile waste and recycled yarn. So far, it’s transformed more than 40 billion plastic bottles into recycled fiber.
