#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.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

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.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.