The University of North Carolina football team is the first college 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 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. On Saturday, Sept. 19, REPREVE will turn Kenan Stadium green when the Tar Heels face the Fighting Illini on ESPN2. The student section will “Turn It Green” with t-shirts and rally towels made from REPREVE recycled fiber, and the UNC cheerleaders, dance team and Tar Heel mascot, Rameses, will wear lime green REPREVE jerseys. In total, more than 20,000 plastic bottles will be recycled into REPREVE-based items for the event.
“REPREVE’s presence in the stands and on the field will help educate and encourage our students to make sustainable decisions that will benefit future generations,” said 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 of the Sept. 19 #TurnItGreen football game, REPREVE will 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 will allow 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 men’s basketball game at the Dean E. Smith Center green. Following this Saturday’s football game, a third REPREVE #TurnItGreen takeover is planned, which will occur during the 2015-2016 basketball season. To learn more about UNC and REPREVE’s #TurnItGreen efforts, visit www.REPREVE.com, or visit the REPREVE Facebook page www.facebook.com/REPREVE.
