TEXTILES.ORG
Unifi, based in Greensboro, N.C., has launched two new products it calls “regenerated performance polyester.” The company is the maker of Repreve recycled polyester. The white, dyeable polyester filament is made of 100 percent recycled polyester feedstock, with at least 50 percent coming from textile waste, rather than single-use plastic bottles.
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 percent recycled synthetic padding.
“Polyester is the most widely utilized fiber on the planet, and it’s time for transformative change,” said Eddie Ingle, Unifi CEO. “Our goal is to provide the best-in-class sustainable products that eliminate the need for virgin materials and reduce carbon emissions.”
Unifi notes that the recycled feedstock percentage refers to the base polymer the company uses and doesn’t include additives or colorants. 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.
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.
The two new products are both available globally and can be integrated seamlessly into existing supply chains without disruption, according to Unifi. The products are part of Unifi’s goal to recycle 1.5 billion T-shirts’ worth of textile waste by 2030.