Dive Brief:
- For the second consecutive year, the Detroit Lions of the NFL will partner with Unifi's Repreve as the team's official sustainability partner.
- Repreve, based in Greesnboro, NC, turns recycled plastic bottles into fiber to make fabric found in consumer products, including Ford trucks and Polartec fleece.
- At Saturday's preseason scrimmage, Matthew Stafford and other Lions quarterbacks will wear green jerseys made from recycled plastic bottles. Fans at the stadium will get a chance to win Repreve prizes and tickets to the Oct. 25 Repreve-sponsored game.
Dive Insight:
"We are very excited to have Repreve back for another year of a great sustainable partnership,” said Lions Team President Tom Lewand. "Last year, Lions fans recycled nearly 60,000 plastic bottles at Ford Field. We look forward to the continuation of this aggressive recycling effort and showcasing Repreve-based products created from recycled plastic bottles to our fans."
By gaining public partners such as the Detroit Lions, Repreve is able to expand its company's mission to a large community, as well as provide easy recycling at major sporting events.
Repreve's parent company, Unifi Inc. broke ground last month on the $10 million, 85,000-square-foot expansion of its Repreve Recycling Center in Yadkinville, NC, which opened in 2011.
