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Riopele has just been named a Sustainability Champion by RePreve. The company, headquartered in Famalicão, joins a prestigious list that includes leading brands such as Ikea, Nike, The North Face, and Walmart. This recognition honours entities across brands, retailers, and textile partners who keep billions of plastic bottles out of waste streams by using recycled fibers.
Riopele has contributed to the recycling of 53.6 million plastic bottles through its activities. ‘This award recognizes our significant advancements in fabrics using recycled polyester fiber, bringing us great satisfaction while placing us at a constantly challenging level’, said Albertina Reis.
Riopele’s Technical and Materials Director considers the word ‘sustainability’ as worn-out and lacking meaning due to its indiscriminate use. However, at Riopele, ‘for over a decade, there has been an ongoing commitment to the development of new raw materials based on the collaboration and dedication of all those involved’.
Launched in 2007, Repreve is a global leader in recycled performance fibers, having transformed billions of recycled plastic bottles into sustainable polyester. Using cutting-edge textile technology, Repreve offers ‘the greatest comfort, durability, and functionality. Trusted by brands worldwide to power their sustainable commitments, it is the only traceable and certifiable eco-performance polyester’.
Repreve is wholly owned by Unifi, Inc., one of the world's leading innovators in textile manufacturing. According to Unifi, ‘the company owns and operates vertically integrated manufacturing facilities in the USA and major textile regions worldwide. Unifi operates with a core commitment to ethics and sustainable practices throughout its supply chain.
For Riopele, this is just another step. ‘The goal still remains on the horizon, which drives us to continue leading on this path’, concluded Albertina Reis.
