The University of North Carolina Football Program Goes Green with REPREVE®

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of North Carolina football team is the first college program to join N.C.-based, Unifi, Inc.'s (UFI: NYSE) REPREVE® #TurnItGreen™ movement. 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.

REPREVE is a recycled fiber used in many of the world's leading brands including Ford, Volcom, The North Face, Haggar and Patagonia. On Saturday, Sept. 19, 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 fiber, 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."

During halftime of the Sept. 19 #TurnItGreen football game, REPREVE will offer four lucky students a chance to win a $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 "Make the Smart Throw" 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 favorite 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 chief operating officer 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 U.S. recycling rate, which is significantly less than other countries."

The collaboration between UNC Athletics and REPREVE kicked off last December as they turned the men's basketball game at the Dean E. Smith Center green. Following this Saturday's football game, a third REPREVE #TurnItGreen takeover is planned, which will occur during the 2015-2016 basketball season. To learn more about UNC and REPREVE's #TurnItGreen efforts, 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 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.

REPREVE and #TurnItGreen are trademarks of Unifi, Inc.

SOURCE Unifi, Inc.

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