Posted September 21, 2015
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the first college football program to join N.C.-based, Unifi, Inc.’s REPREVE® #TurnItGreen™ movement.
Together, UNC Athletics and REPREVE aim to raise awareness among students, faculty, fans and alumni about recycling and how Unifi turns plastic bottles into cool REPREVE-based products that are worn and used every day.
REPREVE is a recycled fiber used in many of the world’s leading brands, including Ford, Volcom, The North Face, Haggar and Patagonia.
UNC-CH becomes first football program to join REPREVE®
Last Saturday, REPREVE turned Kenan Stadium green when the Tar Heels faced Illinois. The student section “Turned It Green” with T-shirts and rally towels made from REPREVE recycled fiber, and the UNC cheerleaders, dance team and Tar Heel mascot, Rameses, wore lime green REPREVE jerseys. In total, more than 20,000 plastic bottles were recycled into REPREVE-based items for the event.
“REPREVE’s presence in the stands and on the field helped educate and encourage our students to make sustainable decisions that will benefit future generations,” said UNC head football coach Larry Fedora. “When it comes to recycling, we should never let up and never stop, and the collaboration with REPREVE helps showcase to UNC fans everywhere the importance of recycling and buying recycled products.”
During halftime at the #TurnItGreen football game, REPREVE offer four lucky students a chance to win a $1,000 UNC Student Stores gift certificate and REPREVE prizes during a “Make the Smart Throw” challenge, encouraging everyone to place their used plastic bottles into the recycling bin instead of the trash can. The “Make the Smart Throw” challenge allowed each student the opportunity to throw water bottles into recycling bins, symbolizing the importance of recycling and educating fans on how REPREVE gives new life to bottles by transforming them into cool products made by their favorite brands.
“We see the younger generation as a great partner in helping us spread the word about the importance of recycling and choosing products made with sustainable materials like REPREVE,” said Roger Berrier, president and chief operating officer of Unifi, Inc. “Working with UNC Athletics gives us a great platform to collaborate with a large audience in order to help us raise the U.S. recycling rate, which is significantly less than other countries.”
The collaboration between UNC Athletics and REPREVE kicked off last December as they turned the UNC men’s basketball game at the Dean E. Smith Center green.
Source: Unifi, Inc.