Unifi, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., is celebrating a sustainability milestone after transforming more than 30 billion post-consumer plastic bottles into its REPREVE recycled performance fibers.
“Our brand and mill partners helped us achieve this ambitious goal,” says Unifi CEO Eddie Ingle. “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. We want to thank consumers for choosing to buy products—ranging from apparel to home furnishings to shoes—made with REPREVE. Together, we are working today for the good of tomorrow.”
Unifi began setting recycling goals in 2017 after hitting its 10 billion bottle milestone. The company then pledged to transform 20 billion bottles by 2020 and 30 billion bottles by 2022.
30 billion bottles used to create REPREVE fiber, instead of the virgin equivalent, can save enough energy to power nearly 284,000 homes in the United States for one year, according to the company.
“We’re committed to being an impactful change leader,” says James Cooper, Unifi sustainability manager. “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.” — D.S.
