Greensboro, North Carolina-based Unifi, the manufacturer of Repreve recycled polyester, is introducing U Trust Product Certification, an enhanced supply chain certification, at this week's Summer Outdoor Retailer in Denver.

So far, Unifi has converted over 30 billion plastic bottles into Repreve for new apparel, shoes, household goods, and other consumer products.

U Trust is another approach for Unifi to develop trust and transparency around sustainability because it can test and verify that Repreve is present at expected content levels at any stage in the supply chain and throughout the life of a product or fiber.

Eddie Ingle, Unifi CEO, said that trust and transparency are at the heart of everything they do, and they are adamant that sustainability promises be independently verified. Their U Trust Product Certification provides customers with more assurance regarding the things they buy.

Repreve SmartDye recycled polyester, which is engineered to be dyed at lower temperatures and can deliver energy savings of up to 30% with a reduced carbon footprint than normal polyester – without affecting fabric integrity – is also being introduced. This product satisfies the performance criteria for a simple drop-in replacement for traditional polyester. Repreve SmartDye comes in both polyester staple and filament fibers.