• The Detroit Lions and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletics Join REPREVE® #TurnItGreen™ Week

    For Release: 12/1/2014

  • GREENSBORO --

    Dec. 1, 2014 - The Detroit Lions and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) are joining with Unifi, Inc.’s (UFI: NYSE) REPREVE® recycled fiber brand to kick off #TurnItGreen™ week, Dec. 1-7. The UNC men’s home basketball game on Dec. 3 and the Detroit Lions home football game on Dec. 7 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.

    To show its commitment to sustainability and recycling, UNC will turn the Dean E. Smith Center green on Dec. 3 through various activations, 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 percent plastic bottle recycling rate. Additionally, 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. UNC cheerleaders, band members and Rameses, the Tar Heels mascot, will also “Turn It Green” by wearing REPREVE-based gear made from recycled bottles. The game is part of this year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge, to be broadcasted at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

    "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."

    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 Dec. 1, there will be a campus-wide “Take the Smart Shot” recycling challenge that will lead into the 2015 UNC graduation ceremony, where graduating students will wear gowns made with REPREVE, each using approximately 27 recycled plastic bottles.

    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. 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. During each home game this season, the Lions have provided fans with an update on the number of bottles recycled at Ford Field to date. As of Nov. 9, the Detroit Lions and their fans have recycled more than 37,000 bottles. At the end of the season, REPREVE and the Lions will be making a donation of REPREVE-based products to the Detroit Lions Academy to celebrate the fans’ recycling efforts.

    REPREVE will host a bottle throwing competition between Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the winner of the “Make The Smart Throw” contest on Dec. 6. The “Make The Smart Throw” challenge encourages fans and consumers to submit trick-shot videos of them throwing plastic bottles into recycling bins. The winner will also receive tickets to the #TurnItGreen game on Dec. 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    “Recycling is critical, yet 70 percent of plastic bottles in the U.S. do not get recycled, ending up in parks, landfills or the ocean. In football, you have to give 100 percent 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.”

    REPREVE turns recycled plastic bottles into yarn for products people wear and use every day. Since 2009, REPREVE has recycled more than 2 billion plastic bottles into products made by some of America’s favorite brands, including The North Face, Patagonia, Ford and Haggar.

    To learn more about REPREVE and keep up with the #TurnItGreen initiative, visit www.REPREVE.com or visit the REPREVE Facebook page www.facebook.com/REPREVE.

    About REPREVE: REPREVE® is Unifi, Inc.’s (NYSE: UFI) flagship brand of recycled fibers, made from recycled materials, including plastic bottles. REPREVE can be found in products ranging from apparel and hosiery to automotive and industrial applications, and is used by some of the world’s leading brands, including Patagonia, Haggar, Quiksilver and Ford. REPREVE’s #TurnItGreen initiative is designed to encourage recycling and raise awareness among consumers that recycled bottles can be turned into cool products they use every day. For more information about REPREVE, visit www.REPREVE.com; like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

    About The Detroit Lions: The Detroit Lions is a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The team relocated to Detroit in 1934 and are the National Football League's fifth oldest franchise. The Detroit Lions finished the 2011 regular season with a 10-6 record and earned a berth in the NFL playoffs. In addition to professional football, the Detroit Lions have a very visible and active community relations role in the Detroit area. With a focus on health and wellness and community revitalization, the Lions have contributed $7.2 million through philanthropic efforts since 1991. For more information, visit www.DetroitLions.com.

    The Detroit Lions Academy offers students an opportunity to learn and achieve in a structured caring and safe, learning environment that can address their individual learning needs. Students, in grades 6-8, attend the school due to previous challenges in traditional educational settings and receive additional social-emotional support due to challenges that have impeded their progress.

  • Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI) is a diversified producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials. The Company adds value to the supply chain and enhances consumer demand for its products through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. Key Unifi brands include, but are not limited to: AIO® - all-in-one performance yarns, SORBTEK®, A.M.Y.®, MYNX® UV, REPREVE®, REFLEXX®, MICROVISTA® and SATURA®. Unifi's yarns and brands are readily found in home furnishings, apparel, legwear, and sewing thread, as well as industrial, automotive, military, and medical applications. For more information about Unifi, visit www.unifi.com, or to learn more about REPREVE®, visit www.repreve.com.

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