Unifi Debuts Eco-Friendly Yarns
Unifi Inc. of Greensboro, N.C., and Canadian mill Consoltex Inc. have teamed to launch a line of earth-friendly performance fabrics. Featuring four styles, the new line will be sold under Consoltex’s Earthwhile brand to appeal to the outdoor market. Unifi’s new Repreve recycled polyester yarns will be included in four of Consoltex’s top-selling activewear fabrics. “As a company, we are dedicated to environmental sustainability,” said Roger Berrier, Unifi’s vice president of commercial operations, “and we want to provide the industry with a new and innovative way to introduce the eco-friendly story to performance fabrics and garments.” The company has spent the past three years developing Repreve. Consoltex executives said Malden Mills Industries Inc. of Lawrence, Mass., is among the first clients to purchase the product. Malden will use it in its popular Polartec line of fleece fabric. Both companies expect strong demand from retailers and manufacturers. More than 40 percent of consumers would prefer an environmentally friendly garment over a regular one, according to a Unifi study, conducted by the Boulder, Colo., market research firm Leisure Trends Group. —Robert McAllister
