Unifi’s Repreve receives first Higg MSI scores

Repreve, the recycled-content fiber and resin made by made by Unifi Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina, has received its Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) scores. The Higg MSI (version 3.2) is the most comprehensive tool for sustainability analysts, designers and product developers who want to make more informed materials choices, according to Unifi.

The Higg MSI study confirms that U.S. manufactured Repreve reduces global warming potential by 21 percent compared with generic, mechanically recycled polyester and by 42 percent compared with conventional virgin polyester. The Higg MSI global warming potential is related to greenhouse gases. Based on the score, Repreve is verified to have a lower carbon footprint than comparable materials. By using Repreve, organizations and consumers can greatly reduce their environmental impact compared with using generic rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), one of the most commonly used plastics in the world.

Additionally, Repreve is the only eco-performance fiber with U TRUST verification to certify recycled content claims, Unifi says.

“We continue to build on our commitment to transparency by having the results of our Repreve life cycle assessment verified and accepted into the Higg MSI,” says James Cooper, Unifi sustainability manager. “Repreve manufactured in the U.S. has a lower global warming potential than standard PET, providing our customers with a verified pathway to lower their environmental impact and meet their sustainability goals.”

Higg MSI scores are used to communicate credible data about a product’s performance and validate sustainability progress.  

A life cycle assessment (LCA) tool measures the environmental impacts over the whole life cycle of a product or service, including emissions and consumption of material resources. In addition, it provides a more accurate estimate of environmental trade-offs that allows organizations to use more reliable and transparent data to prioritize impact reduction in products and services. The Higg MSI scores are based on an LCA reviewed by the global, multistakeholder nonprofit alliance for the consumer goods industry, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and its technology partner, Higg Co.

“At Unifi, we’re working today for the good of tomorrow, and these scores validate our belief that we are having a positive impact on the future through the growth of Repreve,” Unifi CEO Eddie Ingle says. “This assessment assures consumers and brands that by purchasing or using Repreve recycled fibers, they are making a more conscious and sustainable impact on the present and the future. To our shareholders, this transparency reinforces our commitment to Repreve and the growth potential it has with consumers and brands as they increase their focus on sustainable alternatives.”