Materials
WE TAKE PRIDE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SUSTAINABLE FABRICS. Learn more about the fibers we knit into textiles:
Nylon 6.6, recycled is new environmentally-sustainable Polyamide 6.6 fibre obtained exclusively from regenerated raw materials and which meets given traceability requirements. Mechanically recycled nylon. Process includes transportation of waste materials to recycling plant, and also includes washing water, soaps, mechanical grinding and extrusion into pellets for reuse.
Lycra is a synthetic fiber composed of a long-chain polymer composed of at least 85% segmented polyurethane. The synthetic fiber formed has exceptional elasticity. It can be stretched to >500% of its original length without breaking and it will recover to very near its original length and shape. It is stronger, more durable and has a higher retractive force than rubber. It is lightweight and provides a combination of garment comfort and fit, preventing bagging and sagging. These desirable attributes extend the life of garments. This segmented block copolymer is formed in a multi-step process. The process involves the initial formation of a pre-polymer which is further reacted into a polymer in the presence of solvent. Polymer is then dry spun into a fiber and the solvent recovered and re-used in a closed loop process. Solution dry spinning is used to produce >90% of the world's spandex fibers. A finish agent is applied to the spun fiber to prevent them from sticking together and to aid in textile processing. The finished product is packaged and shipped to customers.
Repreve® Resin (chip)
The production of REPREVE resin [chip] is generated from either post-industrial (PI) and/or post-consumer (PC) recycled polyester at an industrial scale within the UMI footprint. For REPREVE PC PET, single-use PET bottles are collected and sent to a material recovery facility (MRF) where they are sorted and transported to UMI’s (or a third-party’s) bottle processing facility. At the processing facility, additional contaminants are removed (e.g. labels, caps, dirt, etc.), bottles are washed and then ground into flakes (PET flakes). The PET flakes are transported to UMI’s (or a third-party’s) recycling center where they are extruded and further cleaned, filtered and pelletized into the final resin [chip] form. REPREVE Hybrid PET resin [chip] consists of waste generated during UMI’s (or a third party’s) recycling, extrusion and/or yarn operations as well as PC recycled polyester. The recycled material is collected, cleaned and then extruded along with any PC PET flake to create hybrid resin [chip]. This process represents an average resin [chip] made from both PC and Hybrid recycled PET.
Repreve® Yarn {Unifi Manufacturing Inc}
Yarn Process consists of Unifi's REPREVE® Polyester Yarn Production which is produced at an industrial scale within the UMI footprint. This yarn is designed for textile end-use applications. During yarn production, the resin [chip] is melted, extruded and then forced through a spinneret to form individual filaments. Once the filaments are drawn to their desired diameter and cooled, they are wound together as Partially Oriented Yarn (POY). The POY is then simultaneously further drawn and textured to give the yarn bulk suitable for use in fabrics and the resulting product is drawn textured yarn (DTY).
Repurposed Fabrics
KK sources scrap materials at jobber sites, cut houses, and sew shops. She pivoted to sewing PPE (masks) in 2020 using stock cotton-blends and repurposed baby swaddles with scrap nylon ties from her swimsuits. By 2025 KK plans to source fabrics and up-cycle them into kids long sleeve SPF rashguards.
Lycra is a synthetic fiber composed of a long-chain polymer composed of at least 85% segmented polyurethane. The synthetic fiber formed has exceptional elasticity. It can be stretched to >500% of its original length without breaking and it will recover to very near its original length and shape. It is stronger, more durable and has a higher retractive force than rubber. It is lightweight and provides a combination of garment comfort and fit, preventing bagging and sagging. These desirable attributes extend the life of garments. This segmented block copolymer is formed in a multi-step process. The process involves the initial formation of a pre-polymer which is further reacted into a polymer in the presence of solvent. Polymer is then dry spun into a fiber and the solvent recovered and re-used in a closed loop process. Solution dry spinning is used to produce >90% of the world's spandex fibers. A finish agent is applied to the spun fiber to prevent them from sticking together and to aid in textile processing. The finished product is packaged and shipped to customers.
Repreve® Resin (chip)
The production of REPREVE resin [chip] is generated from either post-industrial (PI) and/or post-consumer (PC) recycled polyester at an industrial scale within the UMI footprint. For REPREVE PC PET, single-use PET bottles are collected and sent to a material recovery facility (MRF) where they are sorted and transported to UMI’s (or a third-party’s) bottle processing facility. At the processing facility, additional contaminants are removed (e.g. labels, caps, dirt, etc.), bottles are washed and then ground into flakes (PET flakes). The PET flakes are transported to UMI’s (or a third-party’s) recycling center where they are extruded and further cleaned, filtered and pelletized into the final resin [chip] form. REPREVE Hybrid PET resin [chip] consists of waste generated during UMI’s (or a third party’s) recycling, extrusion and/or yarn operations as well as PC recycled polyester. The recycled material is collected, cleaned and then extruded along with any PC PET flake to create hybrid resin [chip]. This process represents an average resin [chip] made from both PC and Hybrid recycled PET.
Repreve® Yarn {Unifi Manufacturing Inc}
Yarn Process consists of Unifi's REPREVE® Polyester Yarn Production which is produced at an industrial scale within the UMI footprint. This yarn is designed for textile end-use applications. During yarn production, the resin [chip] is melted, extruded and then forced through a spinneret to form individual filaments. Once the filaments are drawn to their desired diameter and cooled, they are wound together as Partially Oriented Yarn (POY). The POY is then simultaneously further drawn and textured to give the yarn bulk suitable for use in fabrics and the resulting product is drawn textured yarn (DTY).