Unifi Inc., a global textile solutions provider and maker of REPREVE, announces today the findings of a peer-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) verifying that its recycled polyester lowers climate change impact.
REPREVE is a leading recycled polyester brand made from post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste materials. It was developed by Unifi to address the growing concerns about plastic waste in the environment.
REPREVE has transformed more than 35 billion plastic bottles into recycled performance fiber that powers sustainably minded consumer brands globally.
An LCA was built to quantify REPREVE’s environmental impacts across a variety of impact categories in comparison to virgin polyester. The findings state that REPREVE:
- Significantly reduces climate impacts compared to virgin polyester
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent and by 60 percent when compared to relative virgin staple fiber
- Reduces abiotic depletion and fossil fuels by 66 percent and by 76 percent when compared to relative virgin staple fiber
- Reduces water scarcity by 76 percent and freshwater consumption by 67 percent
“REPREVE significantly lowers the impact of climate change and will have an immediate impact on the sustainability goals and environmental footprint of our esteemed partner brands that integrate REPREVE into their products,” said UNIFI’s CEO Eddie Ingle. “We strive to be good examples of how to design for our planet and our future, so we are thrilled to be able to help others do the same.”
Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Technology & Innovation Meredith Boyd added, “We believe in transparency and traceability, so it’s important for us to share our LCA data to show the significant reductions REPREVE offers in important environmental factors that participate in accelerating climate change.”
REPREVE yarns are woven into a variety of fabrics for use in apparel, automotive interiors, home furnishings and other products for some of the world’s most recognized brands.
For information on UNIFI, the makers of REPREVE, visit www.unifi.com.
