GREENSBORO, N.C.-UNIFI, Inc., the creators of REPREVE® and a leading innovator in recycled and synthetic yarns, has proudly announced its inclusion in Fast Company’s esteemed list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025 in the Fashion and Apparel category. This year’s list highlights businesses that are transforming industry and culture through their groundbreaking innovations, establishing new standards, and achieving significant milestones across various sectors of the economy. Fast Company recognizes a total of 609 organizations across 58 sectors and regions, in addition to the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.
“Being recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies is a great honor,” said Eddie Ingle, Chief Executive Officer of UNIFI. Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world, and industries need a sustainable solution that can be adopted into supply chains to reduce reliance on virgin production. Our goal at UNIFI® is to use our industry-leading REPREVE® brand to mainstream recycled and circular products, which will help build a more sustainable future.”
UNIFI® is setting global benchmarks in recycling technology with its innovative Textile Takeback™ process, which produces circular polyester and insulation, ThermaLoop™, at a commercial scale. The Textile Takeback™ initiative utilizes post-industrial and post-consumer fabric waste, enabling global brands to repurpose their waste and extend the lifecycle of these materials.
To measure its environmental impact, UNIFI® employs third-party, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data alongside ambitious target setting. So far, the company has recycled the equivalent of 950 million T-shirts’ worth of textile and yarn waste, putting it well on track to meet its goal of recycling the equivalent of 1.5 billion T-shirts’ worth of waste by fiscal year 2030. Additionally, UNIFI® aims to divert 50 billion plastic bottles from landfills by the end of 2025 and is on track to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 30% by fiscal year 2030.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies list represents Fast Company’s hallmark franchise and is one of its most eagerly awaited editorial projects each year. Fast Company’s editors and writers evaluate thousands of submissions through a competitive application process to identify companies that are driving global progress across industries. The result is a comprehensive guide to modern innovation, ranging from emerging startups to some of the world’s most valuable enterprises.
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” stated Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “This year, we recognize companies that are harnessing AI in deep and meaningful ways, brands that are turning customers into superfans by overdelivering for them, and challengers that are introducing bold ideas and vital competition to their industries. At a time when the world is rapidly shifting, these companies are charting the way forward.”
