Unifi, a Greensboro, a North Carolina-based manufacturer of recycled and synthetic fibers based, says it has reached a sustainability milestone ahead of schedule. The company has transformed more than 30 billion postconsumer plastic bottles into its Repreve recycled-content fiber and resin, which is used by hundreds of brands worldwide.
“Our brand and mill partners helped us achieve this ambitious goal,” CEO Eddie Ingle says. “By making the switch to sustainable by choosing to use Repreve, we’ve been able to keep more than 30 billion plastic bottles out of landfills. … Together we are working today for the good of tomorrow.”
Unifi hit the 10-billion bottle milestone in 2017 and says it began setting recycling goals after that achievement, pledging to transform 20 billion bottles by 2020 and 30 billion by 2022.
When the company launched Repreve, it initially was adopted by two brands; but, according to Unifi, more than 1,000 brands worldwide now use the recycled performance fibers, accounting for nearly 40 percent of Unifi’s total sales. The company says it expects that number to grow in 2022.
Using 30 billion bottles to create Repreve fiber instead of the virgin equivalent can save enough energy to power nearly 284,000 homes in a year in the United State, according to Unifi.
“We’re committed to being an impactful change leader,” says James Cooper, sustainability manager at Unifi. “We anticipate companies will continue to make the switch to Repreve, enabling us to increase recycling rates and giving plastic bottles a second life.
“As we look to the future, we will expand to additional brands and applications in addition to developing circular programs that allow existing textiles to be transformed into new textiles," he adds.
Earlier this year, Repreve received its first Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) scores, which confirmed that U.S.-manufactured Repreve reduces global warming potential by 21 percent compared with generic, mechanically recycled polyester, and by 42 percent compared with conventional virgin polyester.
The Higg MSI global warming potential is related to greenhouse gases. Based on the score, Repreve is verified to have a lower carbon footprint than comparable materials.