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Fibres/​Yarns

UNIFI launches new circular polyester products

Global debut at Intertextile Apparel Fabrics Shanghai tradeshow 27-29 August.

21st August 2024

Knitting Industry
 |  Greensboro, NC, USA

Sports/​Activewear

UNIFI, Inc. leading innovator in recycled and synthetic yarn, has launched two new products that it says makes its circular Repreve offering the largest portfolio of regenerated performance polyester in the world.

Powered by the company’s proprietary Textile Takeback process, UNIFI now offers white-dyeable filament yarn and a revolutionary insulation material, ThermaLoop, representing a major leap forward in scalable textile-to-textile recycling.

“Polyester is the most widely utilised fibre on the planet, and it’s time for transformative change,” said Eddie Ingle, Chief Executive Officer of UNIFI, Inc. “Textile brands can now create solutions with the entire product life cycle in mind and work towards 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.”

Made from 100% recycled polyester feedstock, with at least 50% textile waste, the two new products both achieve virgin-quality standards. The Textile Takeback process recycles both global post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste into next-generation materials using proprietary technologies. Further enhancing value throughout the supply chain, UNIFI will also partner with global brands to take back their waste and keep materials in circulation longer.

With widespread versatility across industries, applications, and colourways, the new circular Repreve filament yarn is a white, dyeable, high-performance polyester that is designed for the most critical applications. The circular Repreve polyester line, which also includes black filament yarn and black and white staple fibre, contains the inherent FiberPrint tracer technology, meaning that all products can gain U-Trust certification.

ThermaLoop insulation, available in down-like fibre, fireball, and padding, offers performance, recovery, and thermal efficiency. The padding is engineered with Repreve low melt fibre, a pioneering innovation that enables the production of 100% recycled synthetic padding. Driven by UNIFI’s ‘waste nothing’ philosophy, ThermaLoop’s launch in black insulation showcases the wide variety of textile waste that can be utilised as feedstock.

The two new products are both available globally now, and can be integrated seamlessly into existing supply chains, without disruption. 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. These products underpin UNIFI’s goal to recycle 1.5 billion T-shirts’ worth of textile waste by fiscal year 2030.

www.unifi.com

www.repreve.com

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