UNIFI launches Luxel linen-inspired performance yarn with 30% REPREVE recycled content

UNIFI launched Luxel™ on March 3, 2026 as a linen-inspired yarn technology made with REPREVE recycled polyester that includes 30% REPREVE Takeback circular polyester derived from textile waste, the company announced in a Greensboro, N.C. press release. The company positions Luxel as combining the look and feel of linen with easy-care and high-performance features engineered directly into the yarn.

“GREENSBORO, N.C., March 03, 2026 (BUSINESS WIRE) Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today announced the launch of Luxel™, a groundbreaking yarn technology that combines the luxurious look and feel of linen with high-performance, easy-care, and textile-to-textile recycled materials.” Eddie Ingle, CEO of UNIFI, added: “Luxel represents a true innovation in textile performance. We developed this yarn to provide designers and manufacturers with a product that delivers the premium look and tactile appeal of linen but delivering on enhanced benefits of easy care, durability, and sustainability. Luxel allows brands to offer elevated, functional fabrics, made with REPREVE Takeback, and designed for premium functional performance, which is important to today’s consumers.”

UNIFI and trade coverage list the technical benefits engineered into Luxel as moisture management or moisture-wicking, wrinkle resistance to help fabrics retain a fresh, polished appearance, and odour control. Knitting Industry describes the yarn as delivering a breathable linen-inspired texture with a smooth finish and emphasizes that these performance attributes are built into the fiber rather than added as a post-treatment.

On circularity and traceability, Knitting Industry notes Luxel is produced using REPREVE recycled polyester yarn and contains the explicit 30% REPREVE Takeback content derived from textile waste. The trade coverage also highlights proprietary FiberPrint tracer technology for traceability and U-TRUST certification to verify recycled content, providing two named mechanisms UNIFI cites to confirm material provenance.

UNIFI frames Luxel’s applications broadly: Business Wire, MarketScreener and Knitting Industry list apparel, footwear, home furnishings, workwear and accessories among intended end uses, and MarketScreener states the yarn is available globally. Market context from MarketScreener identifies UNIFI’s ticker as UFI on the NYSE and shows an ISIN of US9046772003; a market close snapshot dated March 5, 2026 lists a price of 3.890 USD, change -1.77%, 5-day change -0.26% and year-to-date change +11.14%.

Public materials do not include commercial pricing, specific commercial shipment dates, named launch customers or independent lab performance metrics for moisture-wicking, wrinkle recovery or odour reduction. The press release date of March 3, 2026 and subsequent trade coverage on March 5, 2026 establish the official announcement window; beyond those items, UNIFI has not supplied production locations, sample partners or detailed test data. For crocheters and makers watching yarn innovation, Luxel arrives from the makers of REPREVE with 30% Takeback content and traceability tools in place, but UNIFI has yet to disclose when commercial orders, pricing or brand partnerships will be available.