Posted February 1, 2016

 

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletics released its sustainability report, highlighting environmental efforts throughout campus, including a university-wide 12 percent increase in collected recycling materials

 

North Carolina-based Unifi, Inc., makers of REPREVE®, teamed up with UNC-Chapel Hill in 2014 to raise awareness among students, faculty, fans and alumni about recycling and how Unifi transforms plastic bottles into cool REPREVE-based products from some of the world’s favorite brands. REPREVE and UNC Athletics have recycled more than 250,000 plastic bottles through REPREVE events alone.

 

The most recent event took place on January 30, when the Tar Heel men’s basketball team took on Boston College at home. The student section was given REPREVE T-shirts each made from 15 recycled plastic bottles, and the UNC-CH cheerleaders, dance team and Tar Heel mascot, Rameses, also donned REPREVE green shirts.

 

“Our collaboration with REPREVE is a perfect representation of the university’s commitment to sustainability,” said Bubba Cunningham, director of athletics at UNC-CH. “The goals of Unifi and REPREVE’s initiatives align seamlessly with ours as we work to continue increasing our green efforts across campus.”

 

UNC-CH Athletics is committed to other sustainability initiatives in addition to its work with REPREVE, such as the reduction of energy and water use. Some of these measures include:

 

• Increased number of recycling bins at athletic events;

• use of reclaimed water for athletic fields, which is eventually expected to save 10 million gallons of potable water annually; and

• Installation of low-flow toilets that reduce water consumption by up to 30 percent per flush.

 

“We’re proud to work with an athletics program like Carolina that has supported our green initiatives over the past few years, and helped us recycle more than 250,000 plastic bottles into new products,” said Roger Berrier, president and chief operating officer of Unifi, Inc. “A recycled plastic bottle can be the beginning of something new when it’s transformed by REPREVE.”

 

REPREVE is a recycled fiber made from plastic bottles that can be found in many of the world’s leading brands, including Ford, Volcom, The North Face, Haggar and Oak Hall Cap & Gown (supplier of graduation gowns for UNC-CH).

 

Source: Unifi, Inc.