#Recycled Fibers

2026-04-09

UNIFI celebrates recycled and circular Innovation with ninth annual REPREVE® Champions of Sustainability Awards

Awards recognize industry leaders helping recycle more than 46 billion plastic bottles and transformation of one billion T-shirts’ worth of textile and yarn waste © 2026 Unify

Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today announced the winners of its ninth annual REPREVE Champions of Sustainability Awards, recognizing brands and mills that are advancing circularity and responsible manufacturing across the global textile industry.

Together with its brand partners, UNIFI® has helped recycle more than 46 billion plastic bottles and transform the equivalent of one billion T-shirts’ worth of textile and yarn waste into high-quality recycled fibers. The annual awards celebrate companies that are leading the way in sustainable innovation, material transformation, and circular design through their use of REPREVE.

Introducing New Textile Waste Awards

This year’s program expanded to include new Textile Waste Awards, recognizing companies that are helping accelerate circular solutions by incorporating textile waste into their products.

Game Changer Award (High-volume textile waste utilization):

Texollini – Swim USA® (Vitamin A) – REPREVE Nylon

Trailblazer Award (First to market in their category):

Walmart® – Joyspun® socks featuring REPREVE Takeback™

Accelerator Award (Adoption across multiple products):

Marmot® – ThermaLoop™ Insulation and REPREVE

Change Maker Award (Conversion from recycled polyester to textile waste inputs):

Save the Duck® – ThermaLoop

Lafuma® – ThermaLoop

UNIFI also recognized brand partners across additional sustainability-focused categories:

Sustainable Fabric Innovation: Swisstex – REPREVE ReCirculate™

Commitment to Circularity: Dagne Dover® – REPREVE

Newcomer Award: Me by Jennie Garth™, QVC® – REPREVE Our Ocean®

Made in USA Award: Walmart Valley Forge Flags – Produced with REPREVE by Cotswold Industries

“These awards celebrate the brands and partners who are not only setting ambitious sustainability goals, but actively delivering measurable impact through innovation and collaboration,” said Eddie Ingle, CEO of UNIFI. “Their leadership demonstrates how recycled and circular materials can scale across categories while maintaining performance and quality.”

The REPREVE Champions of Sustainability Awards underscore UNIFI’s commitment to enabling scalable, traceable, and high-performance recycled solutions that help transform waste into value across the global supply chain.

To see the full list of brand partner and mill winners, please visit https://repreve.com/champions-of-sustainability.

UNIFI® introduces Luxel™: A Linen-inspired, easy-care performance yarn

Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today announced the launch of Luxel™, a groundbreaking yarn technology that combines the luxurious look and feel of linen with high-performance, easy-care, and textile-to-textile recycled materials.

Unifi launches A.M.Y.® Peppermint odor control and expands REPREVE® circular offerings

UNIFI, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, has launched A.M.Y.® Peppermint, a naturally deodorizing yarn engineered for long-lasting freshness. The latest innovation within UNIFI®’s technology platform delivers built-in odor control using sustainably sourced peppermint oil, offering a botanical alternative to traditional antimicrobial treatments. UNIFI also announces the global introduction of REPREVE Takeback™ and ThermaLoop™ insulation, both made entirely from textile waste.

UNIFI® launches FORTISYN™, an inherently durable yarn for military and tactical gear

UNIFI, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today launched Fortisyn™, an abrasion-resistant yarn engineered for ultimate durability in tactical applications. This innovative yarn provides fabrics with enhanced tear and tensile strength, offering a robust solution for military and first responder uniforms and tactical gear. Fortisyn is available made-in-USA for Berry Amendment compliant applications.

Recover™ and Ünteks Group partner to scale recycled cotton in knitwear

Recover(TM), a global producer of low‐impact, high‐quality recycled cotton fiber, announces a new partnership with Ünteks Group, a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in Turkey. The collaboration focuses on the development of circular knit fabrics and garments, combining Recover’s recycled cotton fiber with Ünteks Group’s integrated capabilities across knitting, dyeing, printing, and garment production.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.