Technical Absorbents
Techtextil Frankfurt

Free membership

Receive our weekly Newsletter
and set tailored daily news alerts.

Fibres/​Yarns/​Fabrics

Detroit Lions and NC University join Repreve #TurnItGreen Week

Working with Repreve gives the opportunity to show how green the students and fan base can be, says Roy Williams, head men’s basketball coach at UNC.

2nd December 2014

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Greensboro, NC

Sports/​Outdoor, Clothing/​Footwear, Sustainable

The Detroit Lions and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) are joining with Unifi’s Repreve recycled fibre brand to kick off #TurnItGreen week that runs from 1-7 December.

The UNC men’s home basketball game on 3 December and the Detroit Lions home football game on Sunday will feature consumer activations designed to highlight the high-quality products that can be made when plastic bottles are properly recycled.

Repreve is made from recycled materials, including plastic bottles, and the events are part of the brand’s nationwide #TurnItGreen campaign to raise recycling awareness.

Commitment to sustainability

To show its commitment to sustainability and recycling, UNC will turn the Dean E. Smith Center green on 3 December through various activities, including the addition of 50 Repreve wrapped recycling bins in the Smith Center, changing the traditionally blue lighting at the top of the Smith Center to green, and targeting a 100% plastic bottle recycling rate. 

Each attending fan will also receive a Repreve based t-shirt with a Carolina Blue NC on the front, made using more than 45,000 recycled plastic bottles. UNC cheerleaders, band members and Rameses, the Tar Heels mascot, will also Turn It Green by wearing Repreve based gear made from recycled bottles.

To show its commitment to sustainability and recycling, UNC will turn the Dean E. Smith Center green on 3 December through various activities, including the addition of 50 Repreve wrapped recycling bins in the Smith Center. © Unifi / Repreve

“Working with Repreve gives us the opportunity to show how green our students and fan base can be, and I’m confident they will rise to the challenge,” said Roy Williams, head men’s basketball coach at UNC. “Recycling really does make a significant impact, and we want everyone to take what they learn in the stands and put it into action, so that the entire campus community will recycle even more than we do currently.”

Prize winning contest

Repreve also launched a #TurnItGreen contest, offering UNC fans, students and alumni a chance to win a prize pack, including an autographed basketball from the entire 2014-15 UNC men’s basketball team, a poster autographed by Roy Williams, and a variety of Repreve based gear.

Following the conclusion of the #TurnItGreen contest on 1 December, there was a campus wide Take the Smart Shot recycling challenge leading into the 2015 UNC graduation ceremony, where graduating students wear gowns made with Repreve, each using approximately 27 recycled plastic bottles.

Taking care of the planet

Wrapping up #TurnItGreen week, the Lions will turn Ford Field green by providing fans with Repreve based #TurnItGreen rally towels, made from a total of 200,000 recycled plastic bottles.

Each attending fan will receive a Repreve based t-shirt with a Carolina Blue NC on the front, made using more than 45,000 recycled plastic bottles. © Unifi / Repreve

The Lions kicked off their joint recycling efforts with Repreve during training camp by unveiling 500 new recycling containers throughout Ford Field. This also marked the start of their recycling challenge with Lions fans.

“Recycling is critical, yet 70% of plastic bottles in the US do not get recycled, ending up in parks, landfills or the ocean. In football, you have to give 100% day in and day out, and the same is true for recycling and taking care of the planet,” said Matthew Stafford, NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions. “It’s time for us to step up our game and make the smart throw by tossing our used plastic bottles into recycling bins.”

www.repreve.com

Latest Reports

Business intelligence for the fibre, textiles and apparel industries: technologies, innovations, markets, investments, trade policy, sourcing, strategy...

Find out more