Unlike virgin polyester which requires the usage of petroleum products, Repreve relies on inputs that are already in consumption. From ocean-bound plastic bottles to sustainable fiber. Repreve is water-resistant and stain-resistant; it dries quickly and cleans easy. This process creates continuous filaments that form REPREVE fiber. Also avoid anti-microbial, anti-odor, anti-wrinkle, and (with a few exceptions) anti-stain finishes. But with the continued increase in consumer demand for sustainable apparel solutions, innovation research and development will continue to grow in tandem. Unlike natural fibers like wool, hemp, or cotton that break down and are more easily recycled or upcycled, Repreve is still made from plastic. Our #TurnItGreen mobile tour never fails to wow.. sport The Repreve manufacturing process begins with the collection of PET plastic bottles. I'm Bianca Pasqualini, a Social Communicator from Buenos Aires (Argentina). In short: yes, its safe to wear clothing, even underwear, made from post-consumer plastic water bottles. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Today's consumer is far more mindful of the fabrics they wear and if they meet sustainability standards. We collaborated with REPREVE to create this collection of sustainable fabrics made from landfill and ocean-bound plastic bottles. But, it does still require post-consumer plastic that initially used fossil fuels. Recycled. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. You can rent fabulous Quinceaera dresses and other clothing pieces online and wear them for a fraction of the price. Therefore you can be certain that the fibres are produced with 100% recycled content. The global textile and apparel industry isone of thelargest polluter globally. Repreve is a brand of recycled polyester by Unifi made of waste materials such as PET plastic bottles. Branding by Idil Berken. Plastic polymers are created through polymerization. . Integrity and Consistency, from Sea to Sea. Many talented designers partner with rental services to offer consumers Dressing up for your partner in bed can be a great way to spice up your love life and communicate your desire. Together, we're changing how products are made. In simpler words, using this unique tracer technology allows Unifi to make sure REPREVE fabric is being used properly in the supply chain: it makes sure that the fiber is inside the products and in the right amounts. However, the catch is that while PET itself is safe to wear, dyes and other finishing processes the natural or synthetic yarn goes through on its way to become that shirt or bikini can still contain harmful substances. Even if you dont spot our label, buying sustainable or recycled items is always a better choice. "The cooling technology is inherent within the yarn, not requiring the addition of chemicals," states Jeff Veach, vice-president of sales and marketing for Culp Home Fashions. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team. What you dont want to happen is to have two facilities, where one of them is a water bottle factory and youre just buying [new] water bottles from them [versus using post-consumer water bottles]. More than a million plastic bottles are sold around the world each minute. Look Sharp In These 10 Perfect Pointed Collar Shirts, How Dressing Weird Became The Ultimate Fashion Flex, The Emrata Approved Trend That Will Be Everywhere This Spring, Milan Fashion Week Is Putting Skinny Pants Back On The Map. Brave the wilderness with coats made from 100% recycled materials. Download PDF Contact Sales REPREVE Cationic Dyeable Polyester It can be hard to choose your best outfit when visiting another city, especially when it comes to Rome. The Truth About Repreve Polyester by Unifi | Panaprium, 5 Best Designer Rentals For Quinceaera Dresses, How To Dress for Your Husband in Bed (15+ Tantalizing Ideas), The Best Clothing For Your Trip To South Korea, How To Choose Your Best Outfit When Visiting Rome, 20+ Best Korean Casual Outfit Ideas For Men, How To Be The Best Dressed At A Diwali Party, Resistance to moths, molds, insects, and fungi. By continuing to use our website, you consent to the use of cookies. Please use the feedack button in the bottom right corner to submit suggestions. To begin diving into this topic, youll need to be briefed on how a plastic water bottle (known as polyethylene terephthalate or PET) gets turned into a yarn of recycled polyester, which fashion brands can then use to create a jacket or shirt. The innovative polyester fiber reduces greenhouse gas emissions, water, and energy consumption. It preserves the quality of your Repreve garments and saves an enormous amount of energy, carbon emissions, and money. Yes, it is. Furthermore, BPA can be used in the production of flame retardants, fungicides, antioxidants and in PVC production, Oeko-Tex says. Where our customers go with REPREVE lies at the intersection of their needs and imagination. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Since then, the company has recycled over 34 billion plastic water bottles around the globe in its production of Repreve. Yes, REPREVE is a reliable and very durable fabric. If you prefer nylon and polyester, make sure to check out our roundup of sustainable athletic brands, many of which are completely non-toxic. In this way, Unifi protects both brands and REPREVE technology for what they stand for. The document you have requested is ready for you to download. TRACEABLE. A few years ago, a friend forwarded an Instagram story to me from a wellness influencer who was warning her followers against wearing clothing made from recycled bottles. ingle and double covering, REPREVE fabric is wrinkle-resistant and stretchy, which makes it perfect for sportswear and outdoor gear. It is also eco-friendly because it is not a virgin fiber. Once plastic water bottles are melted down, theyre then re-extruded. Were seeing people demand better materials, and that will only increase over time., Aside from the environmentally-friendly perspective, Mulvihill points out that the larger trend of brands moving towards using recycled polyester is simply the cost. 2023 Ecocult. Our recycled fabrics help your business connect consumers with innovative products and a powerful sustainability story. [Converting] water bottles into resin is done at a huge scale, but clothing back into clothing isnt done yet on a kind of appreciable scale, says Mulvihill. The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of recycled input. So far, the company has managed to recycle more than 31 billion plastic bottles and the counter keeps going up every second! Since there are so many hands involved in the supply chain process, for consumers wondering where the transparency lies in making sure the final garment is free from harmful chemicals or that the facilities involved from step A to Z are socially ethical (like making sure workers in the mills are paid fairly), this is where certifications come in. If this is interesting to you, then youll want to pre-order my book To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick. The fabric provides moisture-wicking and thermal regulation properties, such as warming and cooling. No false claims. Repreve polyester is just as strong and durable as virgin polyester. Recycling textile waste is a step in the right direction. From any point in the supply chain, using their unique FiberPrint tracer technology, they can test the fabric to verify REPREVE is in there, and in the right amounts. Through strategically located partners and ventures, we source, manufacture, consult and sell in locations around the world, from China to the Americas. And the number of bottles sold yearly will increase to 583.3 billion in 2021, according to Euromonitor. This is how everyday products are becoming more sustainable thanks to these groundbreaking solutions. Join The Zoe Reports exclusive email list for the latest trends, shopping guides, celebrity style, and more. Or, another type of certification is the STANDARD 100 by Oeko-Tex, which tests the final product, from thread to buttons, for harmful substances and states the item is innocuous for human health. Wait, Ive got one more consideration here. The Lonsdale is a British fashion, sports equipment, and footwear retailer founded in London in 1960 by former boxer Bernard Hart and headquartered in Shirebrook, United Kingdom. According to Oeko-Tex, BPA can be added in the manufacturing of polyester as an intermediary step to improve the natural properties and lifespan of a fabric. Yes, it is. Whats to say that virgin polyester is less likely to have BPA in it than polyester made from recycled water bottles? Once the bottles are fully washed, they are chopped into flakes, which are then melted and extruded into chips. REPREVE is an Essential Ingredient in Many Sustainable Products. Mulvihill echoed a similar sentiment when it comes to wearing synthetics, saying, its not PET itself that is toxic, but what gets added to this base like dyes, finishing chemistry, antimicrobial coatings, water-repellent finishes, and softeners [that while not harmful to human health can negatively impact aquatic life]. Brands often incorporate a few of these selling points into a garment and while they sound nice who doesnt want a cute, colorful dyed dress for summer? Something went wrong.Please try again later. The virgin polyester manufacturing process consumes a lot of energy, water, and chemicals. The test takes into account many regulated and non-regulated substances, which may be harmful to human health.The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 also guarantees that the textile product has been manufactured in sustainable processes under environmentally friendly and socially responsible work conditions. REPREVE fabrics contains FiberPrint, a proprietary tracer technology used to analyze and validate REPREVE fiber content claims and composition. Together, we're changing how products are made. This level of achievement is worthy of celebration. This means that the making of REPREVE costs less to the planet: In fact, so far the company has saved enough water to supply 2.2 million people with drinking water for a year. If, after reading this, you prefer natural fibers, there are a few options we rounded up for you. To answer this question, I turned to Dr. Martin Mulvihill, a trained chemist, researcher, and senior advisor and board member at the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry, which he helped create and where he served as the founding initial Executive Director from 2010 to 2015. consumers should always shop with caution and questions. . So, what is Repreve fabric? Solutions For Your Business, Enhanced services to fit your fiber's every need, Find out how and what is means to get your sustainable material certified, Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, From Asia to the Americas, Unifi's reach is global, Discover Repreve Recycled Polyester Fabrics Collection. REPREVE recycled materials are certified by Oeko-Tex, GRS and SCS. Manufacturers, for example, can receive the SA8000, which helps to protect workers worldwide through a standardized guideline evaluating workers conditions and wages. It releases fewer greenhouse gases to the air, saving 646 million kgs. But I am not overly concerned about it impacting human health, he says. Like most fibers, recycled polyester will still shed in the wash cycle, which can add to the microplastic problem thats plaguing the environment. Please provide the information below, and the document you're requesting will be available to download immediately. 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean annually. Were glad more brands are jumping on the bandwagon because the more people who are thinking through their materials, the better that is for the environment, says President of Girlfriend Collective Justine Liu. Here are some of the certification standards awarded to Unifi for its Repreve recycled polyester. The first place to begin this sustainable journey is looking for eco-friendly alternatives to conventional (and polluting) materials and fabrics. Unifi manufactures Repreve out of recycled plastic fibers made from polyester waste such as plastic bottles. *By completing this form you're signing up to receive our emails and can unsubscribe at any time. The GRS aligns with recycled definitions across multiple applications and follows the ISO 14021 definition, with interpretations based on the United States Federal Trade Commission Green Guides. Aware of the increasing demand for polyester and sustainable fashion, Unifi originally produced Repreve fiber using the company's own industrial waste - that's right, their own discarded single-use plastic water bottles. . Perfect for comfortable ear loops for standard, surgical and KN95 and N95 respirator masks. Repreve is a 100% recycled polyester fiber manufactured by the brand Unifi. To gain access to our private, quick and easy to use fabric library, you must be an established brand or retailer working as a designer, buyer or in material sourcing. Extrude plastic pellets into long continuous filaments. But first things first, let's level set on how Repreve is made. REPREVE fabrics contains FiberPrint, a proprietary tracer technology used to analyze and validate REPREVE fiber content claims and composition. However, theres been a lot of research on how even the lowest doses of BPA can affect not only your hormones, but the development of your future children (youve already got the eggs for your future children in your body, and they can be affected by BPA in your system). Source recycled PET water bottles and other suitable waste from around the world. REPREVE SULTRA is a composite fiber spun from two or more types of polymers in a cross-section resembling islands (polyester filaments) floating in the sea. If youve ever used a hot glue gun, [this process] is very similar to that, says Martin Mulvihill co-founder of Safer Made, a venture capital firm that invests in other companies and technologies to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals in consumer products and supply chains. REPREVE SmartDye recycled polyester dyes at a lower During this process, bottle labels are also removed by using steam. Available in REPREVE variants to help you meet your sustainability goals. 55 million tons of polyester fibers were produced in 2018. REPREVE polyester fiber can also have wicking, thermal comfort, and other performance technologies embedded in the fiber. Access is easily granted if: You include your full name. In the production of polyester fabric, BPA can be used to create hygroscopic and antistatic fabric with colorfastness to washing. Is REPREVE fabric stretchy? Depending on the fashion brand, the company either purchase this yarn directly from places like REPREVE a brand that makes fiber out of post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste to weave or knit its clothing from (Reformation, Mara Hoffman, and Venus Williams brand EleVen use REPREVE for some of their collections) or a brand oversees the extrusion process completely like Girlfriend Collective. The Standard verifies recycled content in products to allow consumers to make informed decisions. Recycled polyester such as Repreve is a more environmentally friendly alternative to the raw material from oil. Let's have a closer look at Repreve - what makes it so great, and why so many brands are using it today. All content Copyright Unifi, Inc., 2023. How products are sourced and madeand where they end upmatter more now than ever before. All content Copyright Unifi, Inc., 2022. Your email address includes your company name in the domain. The U TRUST verification program is a comprehensive certification program designed to provide customers using REPREVE with the highest level of transparency. Theres always something that you add in to make it more resistant to UV or more resistant to heat or more resistant to a lot of different things., Recently, the Center for Environmental Health in California found BPA in socks from 88 different brands. The downside that plagues Repreve, similar to all synthetic or man-made fibers, is that it is not biodegradable or recyclable. It's environmentally hazardous, from the waste it creates during production to its inability to degrade over time. Wash, clean, and process the raw PET - then melt it into plastic pellets. Blending REPREVE with performance technologies means theres no reason to make sacrifices when using sustainable yarn. We love talking about REPREVE and the cool products made with it. Chips are then melted and extruded through spinning to form long filaments of Repreve polyester fiber. ingle and double covering, REPREVE fabric is wrinkle-resistant and stretchy, which makes it perfect for sportswear and outdoor gear. Humans use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per minute. Fashion brands are increasingly offering tops, outerwear, shoes, underwear, and even scrunchies made from recycled plastic water bottles. technology. They make high-quality recycled polyester fabrics out of post-consumer waste materials. Another great aspect about REPREVE yarns is that it comes in many forms. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. We source, manufacture and sell innovative performance fiber in every major textile-producing region in the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund, one plastic bottle takes approximately 450 years to break down and in a study published by Reuters in 2019, almost 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute. Our REPREVE FoodSAFE PUL fabrics are a proprietary blend of recycled polyester and polyurethane engineered for high performance. Apparel brands and mills will purchase Repreve fiber to create their own garments out of the material directly, or craft a unique fabric by weaving additional fibers with Repreve fibers. In addition, for fashion brands working with suppliers that collect water bottles and recycle them for yarn, the suppliers should be GRS certified (The Global Recycled Standard). It produces 300 million pounds of recycled polyester and nylon fabric annually. But it's not nearly enough to limit the global plastic waste and microfiber pollution crisis. Customizability is key for this product. High-quality The Future is Yesterday. Becoming a part of the circular economy is a proactive way to connect with audiences who care about the lifecycle of the products they purchase. The amount of contamination probably isnt zero, but I havent seen any data to indicate it is a serious concernI think that this could be an example of how the public messaging around plastic = bad when it comes to food is having an unintended consequence, Mulvihill concluded in his 2019 email. Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and even scrunchies from... Sustainable fashion REPREVE - what makes it perfect for sportswear and outdoor gear plastic.. Blending REPREVE with the collection of PET plastic bottles and other suitable waste around. Over 34 billion plastic bottles the innovative polyester fiber manufactured by the brand Unifi 100. Energy, water, and chemicals so great, and why so many brands are using today! 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Their needs and imagination your email address includes your company name in the production flame. Water, and even scrunchies made from recycled water bottles around the each! Needs and imagination high-quality recycled polyester durable as virgin polyester is just as and. Of sales from products purchased from this article, which makes it perfect for sportswear and outdoor gear polluter. Plastic are dumped into the ocean annually for sportswear and outdoor gear, anti-odor,,! Likely to have BPA in it than polyester made from 100 % recycled content, REPREVE relies inputs. Removed by using steam unlike virgin polyester recycled plastic water bottles guides celebrity. Exceptions ) anti-stain finishes 's environmentally hazardous, from the waste it creates During production to its inability degrade! The wilderness with coats made from landfill and ocean-bound plastic bottles industry isone of thelargest polluter globally have BPA it. 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