#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.

Eastman Naia™ brings its inside-out denim vision to Kingpins New York

Following its debut at Kingpins Amsterdam, Eastman Naia™ brings the next chapter of its denim story to Kingpins New York, taking place July 22–23. At Booth Green 7, Naia™ presents its denim proposition built around three complementary design directions: Performance Denim, Fashion Denim and Authentic Denim.

Rieter and partners launch Recycling Powerhouse for industrial-scale textile recycling

Recycling Powerhouse Ltd. was established in July 2026 to industrialize, standardize and scale textile recycling. Based in Switzerland, the venture will operate a franchise-driven business model that enables the production of high-quality, certified recycled yarns. The project is supported by the following partners: Rieter Group, the world’s leading system supplier for natural and man-made fibers, Säntis Textiles, a Swiss textile engineering company, and Valvan, a Belgian sorting technology company. The first blueprint franchise operation is scheduled to launch early 2027 in partnership with Suhail Industrial Holding Group in Qatar.

SHIMA SEIKI brings new flat knitting technologies to FEBRATEX 2026

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Brazilian representative BRASTEMA TECNOLOGIA TEXTIL LTDA., will exhibit at the Brazilian Textile Industry Fair (FEBRATEX 2026) this month. On display will be a roundup of SHIMA SEIKI computerized flat knitting technology, represented by WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines, computerized flat knitting machines featuring a brand-new model with high productivity and excellent cost performance, a glove knitting machine and the latest digital solutions.

Lenzing reports improved half-year results and advances strategic transformation

Despite a persistently challenging market environment in the first half of 2026, characterized by volatile energy and raw material prices, subdued global consumer demand and intensified competition from Asia, the Lenzing Group significantly improved its financial performance. Net result after tax more than doubled to EUR 35.6 million, compared with EUR 15.2 million in the first half of 2025. Free cash flow increased to EUR 45.8 million, while EBITDA amounted to EUR 239.2 million. Revenue totaled EUR 1.27 billion, compared with EUR 1.34 billion in the previous year.

Trützschler’s latest spinning and card clothing innovations at CAITME 2026

From September 8 to 10, 2026, Trützschler will present its latest innovations in spinning and card clothing for state-of-the-art fiber processing at CAITME in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Visitors are invited to meet the experts at Pavilion 2, Booth D50 and explore solutions designed to increase productivity, streamline processes, and ensure consistently high yarn quality. Key topics include the next-generation card TC 30i, the integrated draw frame IDF 3, the high-performance comber TCO 21XL as well as Trützschler Card Clothing’s new flat top series STEELTOP®.