Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford Teams Up With REPREVE® To "Make The Smart Throw" And Recycle
GREENSBORO, N.C., Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unifi, Inc.'s (NYSE: UFI) REPREVE®, a leading recycled fiber brand and the official recycling and sustainability partner of the Detroit Lions, has teamed up with Matthew Stafford to kick off their "Make The Smart Throw" campaign. In America, 70 percent of plastic bottles end up in landfills, oceans and parks, so this initiative encourages fans to toss their plastic bottles into recycling bins instead of trash cans. REPREVE is a fiber made from recycled materials, such as plastic bottles, and the "Make the Smart Throw" campaign is the latest component of the brand's #TurnItGreen initiative aimed at raising recycling awareness.
"As an athlete, I'm constantly drinking from disposable plastic bottles. I recently learned that when those bottles are recycled, with the help of REPREVE, they can be turned into cool things we use everyday," said Matthew Stafford, NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions. "For my team and fans, it's important that I make the smart throw on and off the field. I am excited to be a part of this initiative to create awareness around the importance of recycling and to encourage fans to also make the smart throw by recycling their plastic bottles."
In 2013 alone, REPREVE transformed more than 740 million recycled plastic bottles into fiber, and since 2009, REPREVE has recycled more than 2 billion plastic bottles into products made by some of America's favorite brands, including Ford, Haggar, Polartec, Quiksilver and Volcom. In an effort to recycle even more bottles, REPREVE and the Lions are calling on fans to help the team reach its target 100 percent recycling rate during the 2014 season. To help achieve this goal, they have added 500 REPREVE branded recycling bins throughout Ford Field, and feature in-stadium PSA's with Stafford highlighting the importance of recycling.
Stafford is also challenging fans to demonstrate how they "make the smart throw" by encouraging consumers to submit trick-shot videos that show them throwing plastic bottles from an incredible distance or crazy height, throwing blindfolded or even behind-the-back into recycling bins. The top ten entries displaying the most creative recycling shots will be featured on REPREVE®'s Facebook for fan voting. The grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to the Detroit Lions December 7, 2014 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including an opportunity to meet Stafford and compete against him in a head-to-head "Make The Smart Throw" bottle throwing contest, which will be featured in front of 65,000 fans on the video screen at Ford Field and in various social channels. Videos should be submitted to facebook.com/repreve and should be tagged with #makethesmartthrow and #repreve.
During the Dec. 7 game, REPREVE will take over Ford Field as part of its #TurnItGreen efforts, providing all attending fans a REPREVE-based #TurnItGreen towel, each made from three recycled plastic bottles. REPREVE will recycle a total of more than 200,000 plastic bottles into various products for the game. For more information on REPREVE and "Make The Smart Throw" contest rules, please visit www.REPREVE.com, or visit the REPREVE Facebook page www.facebook.com/REPREVE. To learn more about the Lions' partnership with REPREVE, please visit www.detroitlions.com/turnitgreen.html.
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.
REPREVE and #TurnItGreen are trademarks of Unifi, Inc.
About Unifi:
Unifi, Inc. is a multi-national manufacturing company that produces and sells textured and other processed yarns designed to meet customer specifications, and premier value-added ("PVA") yarns with enhanced performance characteristics. Unifi maintains one of the textile industry's most comprehensive polyester and nylon product offerings. Unifi enhances demand for its products, and helps others in creating a more effective textile industry supply chain, through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. In addition to its flagship REPREVE® products – a family of eco-friendly yarns made from recycled materials – key Unifi brands include: SORBTEK®, REFLEXX®, AIO® – all-in-one performance yarns, SATURA®, AUGUSTA®, A.M.Y.®, MYNX® UV and MICROVISTA®. Unifi's yarns are readily found in the products of major brands in the apparel, hosiery, automotive, home furnishings, industrial and other end-use markets. For more information about Unifi, visit www.unifi.com; to learn more about REPREVE®, visit www.REPREVE.com.
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.
SOURCE Unifi, Inc.
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