The University of North Carolina football team is the first college programme to join Unifi’s Repreve #TurnItGreen movement, designed by the leading producer of specialty yarns to educate and encourage people to get involved in recycling.

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.

Turning it green

Repreve is a recycled fibre used in many leading brands including Ford, Volcom, The North Face, Haggar and Patagonia. On 19 September, Repreve will turn Kenan Stadium green when the Tar Heels face the Fighting Illini at noon (ET) on ESPN2.

The student section will Turn It Green with t-shirts and rally towels made from Repreve recycled fibre, 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.”

Make the smart throw

During halftime of the 19 September #TurnItGreen football game, Repreve will offer four lucky students a chance to win a US 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 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 favourite 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 COO 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 US recycling rate, which is significantly less than other countries.”

Recycled yarn

Repreve from Unifi is a high-grade recycled polyester fibre. It is manufactured using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from used plastic bottles and post-industrial recycled materials. The procurement chain is transparent from the waste product right through to the yarn. This is confirmed by the ‘SCS Certified Responsible Source’ seal of approval.

Full traceability permits the manufacturing of a high-grade fibre material of a consistent quality that forms the prerequisite for smooth process sequences during all stages of manufacturing and within the context of textile rental services.

www.repreve.com