SCS Global Services (SCS) announced that Unifi Manufacturing, Inc., a leading
producer of multi-filament polyester, nylon textured yarns, and related raw
materials, is the first manufacturer of its kind to earn Responsible Source™
certification. Certification was issued for Unifi’s REPREVE® products
manufactured in the REPREVE Recycling Center in Yadkinville, North Carolina. The
Responsible Source™ certification further raises Unifi’s profile as a
sustainability leader in the textile industry, providing an enhanced level of
transparency about its REPREVE products.
REPREVE products are made from pre-consumer and post-consumer
recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET), and have been certified for Recycled
Content by SCS since 2007.
“Responsible Source™ certification gives apparel and textile
companies confidence that REPREVE polyester inputs are both environmentally and
socially responsible, providing a new level of transparency about raw material
inputs for recycled products,” said Stowe Hartridge-Beam, Managing Director of
Environmental Certification Services for SCS.
“This certification is important to Unifi, as it further shows
our commitment in providing our customers with quality, transparent and
responsibly manufactured REPREVE-based products,” said Jay Hertwig, Vice
President of global branding for Unifi.
The Responsible Source™ standard for the textiles sector,
developed by SCS Global Services, addresses supply chain and manufacturing
issues related to the production of un-dyed recycled chips, pellets, and
manufactured fibers. Certification is available to manufacturers who screen
suppliers for compliance with local environmental regulations, enforce fair
labor and workplace practices, and account for human health and environmental
life cycle impacts. Certification enables manufacturers to sell inputs as
“Responsible Source™ certified,” and to promote themselves to downstream
customers as a “Responsible Source.” The standard incorporates elements from ILO
conventions, U.S. federal regulations, ISO standards and guidelines, and
existing SCS standards.
Unifi is the first yarn manufacturer to achieve Responsible
Source™ certification, and has shown that its REPREVE yarns and resins are
manufactured in a manner which supports environmental and ethical
responsibility. Unifi tracks energy and water consumption, water discharges, air
emissions and hazardous waste disposal. It has robust material tracking and
traceability mechanisms in place, and maintains strong relationships with its
vendors and suppliers. As a part of the certification process, Unifi’s
environmental performance was measured in eight key impact categories, and the
company established a supplier screening supply chain risk assessment framework.
SCS Global Services (SCS), formerly
Scientific Certification Systems, has been a global leader in third-party
environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing and standards
development for nearly thirty years. SCS programs span a wide cross-section of
sectors, recognizing exemplary performance in natural resource management, green
building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, retailing and more. SCS
is a Certified B CorporationTM, reflecting its commitment to socially
and environmentally responsible business practice.
REPREVE is a registered trademark
of Unifi, Inc.
