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The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC) is the first collegiate athletics program to team up with Unifi Inc., Greensboro, N.C., on the Repreve® #TurnItGreen™ campaign to increase plastic recycling among students, faculty, fans and alumni. UNC’s exclusive multimedia rights holder, Learfield Sports’ Tar Heel Sport Properties, secured an agreement with Unifi to promote recycling at sporting events with 22,00 lime-green Repreve #TurnItGreen T-shirts (with the Carolina blue logo) for fans; cheerleaders, band members and the mascot wearing recycled tees; and prizes made of Repreve to reward those throwing plastic bottles into recycling bins.
The kick-off event at the UNC versus Iowa men’s basketball game on Dec. 3 got the Repreve-Tar Heels partnership off to a fast start. Repreve polyester and nylon processed yarns, made from recycled materials (including plastic bottles), are featured in products ranging from apparel to hosiery to automotive fabrics. “This partnership will further integrate sustainability into the campus environment,” says UNC director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “We’re excited to support a brand that is encouraging our students to make decisions that benefit not only themselves, but future generations as well.”