Greensboro, N.C.-based textured yarn manufacturer Unifi Inc. and Kingstree, S.C.-based Palmetto Synthetics LLC -- a manufacturer of polyester, nylon, and other specialty man-made staple fibers -- have signed a manufacturing and distribution agreement under which Palmetto Synthetics will purchase Unifi's REPREVE? chip -- produced at Unifi's Repreve Recycling Center in Yadkinville, N.C. -- and process it into staple fiber to be sold under the Repreve name. The agreement was inked with the intention of providing the textile industry with a U.S.-made staple fiber product option. Repreve products produced by Palmetto will be available as either natural or solution-dyed polyester staple fiber, and will be compliant with both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Berry Amendment.
"We have a shared vision with Unifi to provide the textile industry with high quality, innovative products, which led us to this supply relationship," said David Poston, vice president, Palmetto Synthetics. "We have seen a big shift in inquiries for a domestically made recycled fiber, and this initiative with Unifi allows us to amplify our domestic efforts."
Unifi's Repreve chip products have been certified for recycled content by Emeryville, Calif.-based Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Global Services and also have been certified to SCS's Responsible Source standard for responsible production and compliance with environmental and social regulations.
