Textured yarns manufacturer Unifi Inc., Greensboro, N.C. — producer of Repreve® fibers and yarns made with recycled polyester and nylon content — has teamed with performance fabric maker Polartec LLC, Lawrence, Mass., to launch the Repreve Textile Takeback Program to collect polyester-based textile manufacturing waste and post-consumer fabrics and recycle them into Repreve Takeback fiber that will be processed into Repreve polyester yarn.

Military apparel manufacturer and Polartec customer Peckham Inc., Lansing, Mich., is working with Unifi and Polartec to define a process for recycling Polartec fabric waste back into Polartec's own branded Repreve 100 yarn, which going forward will include recycled content from both post-consumer plastic bottles and used fabrics. Polartec will use the yarn to make performance fabrics for outdoor apparel.

"In typical garment manufacturing, 10 to 20 percent of all fabric produced becomes cut-waste left over after panels are cut," said Andy Vecchione, president and CEO, Polartec, noting that the fabric waste typically is downcycled into batting or ends up in a landfill. "In 2011 over 40 percent of our total production will utilize Repreve 100 recycled yarns and we expect that number to grow in 2012 and beyond," he added.

September/October 2011