Letter of No Objection for Recycled PET from North Carolina Bottle Processing Plant : Unifi’s REPREVE Flake from PET Bottle Recycling Approved for Food Use by FDA

Greensboro, North Carolina based textiles producer, Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), has been given the green light from the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) to produce its REPREVE® recycled PET bottle flake for food grade packaging.

The company said it has now received a Letter of No Objection from the FDA for flake produced at its North Carolina PET bottle processing facility which it opened last September.

According to Unifi the facility is one of the most advanced recycling facilities of its kind in the US for sorting and cleaning recycled bottles and represents a $28 million dollar investment.

The plant is part of a vertical integration of Unifi's REPREVE recycled product line which the company described as a high-quality recycled plastic flake which can also now be used for food-grade packaging such as clamshells, trays and baskets for fresh fruits, vegetables and shell eggs.

The company added that the center has an annual capacity to produce 75 million pounds (34,000 metric tonnes) of the highest quality, consistent, clean bottle flake.

"We are pleased to expand our end uses for REPREVE bottle flake to include food-grade products," said Eddie Ingle, vice president of supply chain and REPREVE polymer sales for Unifi.

Process

Unifi explained that the process at the center starts when individuals recycle. It then purchases baled PET bottles from materials recovery facilities across the eastern US, and brings them to the REPREVE Bottle Processing Center, where undesirable materials are segregated and removed using multiple processes to ensure that only the proper, high-quality polyester bottles are kept for use.

Unifi then removes labels, debris and caps from the remaining PET bottles. These bottles are chopped into flake, washed, dried and bagged for use in the production of Unifi's recycled REPREVE fiber or chip; flake can also be sold for use in a variety of consumer packaging applications, such as thermoformed food-grade packaging, as well as non-food applications, for example, strapping and film.

"The REPREVE Bottle Processing Center uses custom-designed, cutting-edge technology to produce recycled bottle flake for high-quality, safe, environmentally responsible food packaging,” explained Ingle.

Since inception, Unifi said that it has recycled more than 5 billion plastic bottles into REPREVE fiber, used by many well-known brands in a variety of auto, outdoor, home and apparel products, including Levi's, Haggar, Ford and The North Face.

The company added that it has the capability to increase the number of bottles the Company recycles, as it expands production to include food-grade packaging.

Read More

New Unifi Bottle Recycling Plant Takes Recycling a Step Further

In Reidsville, North Carolina Unifi, Inc. has celebrated the opening its REPREVE® Bottle Processing Center as part of its new Plastics Recycling Facility.

Fabric Made from Recycled PET Awarded Responsible Source Certification

SCS Global Services has awarded its Responsible Source certification to Unifi for its REPREVE textile products which are made from recycled PET.

PET to be Recycled into Fabric at New Facility in North Carolina

Polyester and nylon textured yarns manufacturer, Unifi has opened its $8 million recycling centre that will allow the company to expand production capacities recycled fibre.