Unifi releases 2024 sustainability report

Unifi Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina, has released its 2024 “Sustainability Snapshot,” highlighting what it calls significant progress in textile-to-textile recycling.

The company, which develops recycled and synthetic yarns, says textile-to-textile recycling is becoming an even more important part of the next generation of its Repreve brand of recycled polyester fiber made from plastic bottles and postconsumer scrap.

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Unifi says its momentum in the circular textile sector is spurred by the launches of its Repreve Takeback program and its ThermaLoop brand of circular thermal insulation last year.

“Our fifth annual Sustainability Snapshot demonstrates both our progress and our drive,” Unifi CEO Eddie Ingle says. “We continually push boundaries in recycling, waste reduction and innovation to make sustainable manufacturing available at scale.”

Unifi says highlights of its report include:

• 950 million t-shirts’ worth of textile and yarn scrap recycled to date, on track to reach 1.5 billion t-shirts by fiscal year 2030;
• 42 billion plastic bottles diverted from landfills, progressing toward 50 billion bottles by December of this year;
• Zero noncompliant water discharges across local municipalities and per national regulation;
• an 8 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, advancing toward a 30 percent reduction by fiscal year 2030; and
• Repreve accounting for 32 percent of fiscal year 2024 revenue, with a target of 50 percent or more by fiscal year 2030.

Additionally, Unifi invested in two new third-party, peer reviewed life cycle assessments last year for Repreve Takeback staple fiber and ThermaLoop. When compared with virgin polyester production, the company says results show both products reduce GHG emissions by 42-77 percent, energy consumption by 47-84 percent, fossil fuel consumption by 48-85 percent and freshwater consumption by 46-71 percent.

The company’s Takeback initiative is designed to collect and recycle polyester-based fabric, including pre- and postconsumer fabrics and transform them into its Repreve recycled performance fiber. Unifi previously said the goal of the program is to transform the industry’s take-make-waste model by providing a sustainable way to recycle landfill-bound textiles and create new products.

ThermaLoop insulation has been recognized for its circular innovation, winning the 2024 Just Style Award for Product Launch—Circularity, which honors the most significant achievements and innovations in the apparel and textile industries. ThermaLoop also was recently honored with the 2025 SEAL Sustainable Product Award, which celebrates innovative and impactful products built for a sustainable future.

The company says its sustainability report underscores its commitments to environmental progress and supporting global brands in achieving circularity and sustainable materials goals. Except where otherwise noted, the report has been guided by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks.