FabricLink's Technical Center

04/30/2012
Spring Commencements Go Green Giving New Life to Nearly Seven Million Bottles (4/30/12)
Herff Jones chooses REPREVE®, made by Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), to help make spring commencements greener. This year, students from colleges and universities can feel even better about their commencement ceremonies because they will be wearing REPREVE based graduation gowns.

More than 140 colleges and universities have chosen Renew Graduation caps and gowns made with REPREVE. Over 240,000 graduates will walk in Renew caps and gowns, including students from the University of Houston, University of Michigan, Syracuse University, Marquette University, Johns Hopkins University and Providence College.  

REPREVE is an essential ingredient that makes REPREVE based fabrics sustainable. Made from recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles, REPREVE helps to reduce the environmental impact of everyday life.  Each Herff Jones graduation gown made with REPREVE uses about 29 post-consumer plastic bottles, collectively using nearly seven million post-consumer plastic water bottles this year. 

"Recognizing that these gowns are a onetime use product, it was very important to make them from REPREVE, helping to reduce their overall environmental impact,” says Tom Carew, vice president and general manager of the Cap and Gown Division of Herff Jones. “Following commencement, through the Renew Gown Recycling Program, graduates can donate their gowns to be recycled back into REPREVE, helping to create a closed loop recycling process.”

“We are excited that Herff Jones selected our REPREVE product as part of their initiative to provide a sustainable product to universities and colleges,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO of Unifi. “In the United States less than 30 percent of all plastic bottles are recycled and it is our goal to educate people on how recycling and choosing products made with REPREVE can have a positive impact on the environment. These students are the future of this country and can start to encourage change in consumer behaviors for recycling.”   

"We have been looking for a good, recycled gown option for some time," says Mireya Porter, divisional merchandise manager for the Syracuse University Bookstore. "The REPREVE based fabric option for gowns has really improved in the past few years, so we're happy that we’ve found a product that matches our needs."

REPREVE can be found throughout many products made by some of the leading brands and retailers, including Ford, Polartec, Haggar, The North Face, Patagonia, AllSteel, Hon and Blue Avocado. Learn more at www.repreve.com and follow us on Facebook.

Herff Jones also makes class rings, yearbooks, diplomas and educational resources with environmentally friendly materials like recycled gold and FCS certified wood. For more information on Herff Jones’ Environmental Commitment, please visit www.herffjonesbetterworld.com.