In the bottle processing plant in Reidsville, North Carolina, drifts of plastic particles, like snow banks, are piled in every nook of the machinery that chops the bottles into flake. Technically, that’s not illegal (especially since Unifi, along with other industrial sources and several towns, successfully lobbied against a North Carolina rule limiting 1,4-dioxane in wastewater). In person, they cited the advice of Unifi’s counsel (BPA), said Unifi follows all regulations (1,4-dioxane), or pled ignorance (microplastics). Polyester will continue to be in demand, and it will either be made here in a compliant factory using recycled sources, or abroad in a sketchy factory using fresh petrochemicals. In February of this year, Unifi announced it was closing its Madison, North Carolina, polyester processing plant.