Spring Scholars Graduate Green with Eco-Friendly Commencement Gowns

Updated

Spring Scholars Graduate Green with Eco-Friendly Commencement Gowns

Herff Jones' Renew Collection made from REPREVE®Recycled Fiber Demonstrates Commitment to Green Graduation

GREENSBORO, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Unifi, Inc. (NYS: UFI) andHerff Jones team up to make graduation greener with Renew Graduation gowns, made with REPREVE® recycled fiber. By the end of the 2013 graduation season, close to 440,000 students will graduate wearing these REPREVE based gowns, with over 12.7 million plastic bottles being recycled into these gowns since 2012. Each gown uses 29 plastic bottles.


More than 190 colleges and universities have chosen Renew Graduation gowns made with REPREVE, including University of Michigan, Syracuse University, George Washington University, Marquette University, John Hopkins University, Rutgers University and Winston-Salem State University, to name a few.

"Today less than 30% of plastic bottles are recycled in the U.S. and many consumers have no idea what happens to these bottles," said Roger Berrier, president and COO of Unifi. "It is our goal to create awareness around the importance of recycling bottles and the cool products that can be made from them. REPREVE is an essential ingredient that makes many everyday products sustainable, such as The North Face Denali jacket, Haggar's Life Khaki pants, the Ford Fusion seat fabric, and even Volcom T-shirts. Our REPREVE brand is now becoming part of the consumer's everyday life."

"As Herff Jones continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainability, REPREVE has been the perfect solution for our line of gowns," says Tom Carew, vice president and general manager of the Cap and Gown Division of Herff Jones. "Going into the August graduation time period, we will begin to offer universities with two different REPREVE based options, including the standard Renew ClassKeeper™ gowns students purchase and the new EarthGrad™ premium gowns that will be a part of our rental program. Both options are aligned with our core values in providing the schools with quality and environmentally conscious products."

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.

For a full list of 2013 colleges graduating in Herff Jones Renew gowns made with REPREVE, please click here.

ABOUT HERFF JONES

Herff Jones works closely with customers to create a climate of achievement through graduation products, class rings and jewelry, yearbooks, educational publishing and motivation and recognition tools. The company provides guidance, support and high quality products to elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, church organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams and corporations. Founded nearly 100 years ago in Indianapolis, Indiana, Herff Jones is an employee-owned organization focused on building long-term relationships through a nationwide network of trusted, expert sales representatives. Additional information is available at www.herffjones.com.

About Unifi:

Unifi, Inc. (NYS: UFI) is a diversified producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials. The Company adds value to the supply chain and enhances consumer demand for its products through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. Key Unifi brands include, but are not limited to: AIO® - all-in-one performance yarns, SORBTEK®, A.M.Y.®, MYNX® UV, REPREVE®, REFLEXX®, MICROVISTA® and SATURA®. Unifi's yarns and brands are readily found in home furnishings, apparel, legwear, and sewing thread, as well as industrial, automotive, military, and medical applications. For more information about Unifi, visit www.unifi.com, or to learn more about REPREVE®, visit www.repreve.com.

About REPREVE:

REPREVE® brand products are made from recycled materials, including pre-consumer manufacturing waste and post-consumer plastic bottles. REPREVE is an essential ingredient that makes fabrics and products containing REPREVE fiber sustainable. REPREVE can be found throughout many products, ranging from apparel to office furnishings, and even socks. It is also used in industrial, automotive and medical applications. REPREVE has been adopted by some of the world's leading brands and retailers, including Patagonia, The North Face, Haggar and Ford. REPREVE is made by a publicly-held U.S. based company, Unifi, Inc. (NYS: UFI) . For more information about REPREVE, visit www.repreve.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements included herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws about Unifi, Inc.'s (the "Company") financial condition and results of operations that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections about the markets in which the Company operates, as well as management's beliefs and assumptions. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," variations of such words and other similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's judgment only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

Factors that may cause actual outcome and results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements include, but are not necessarily limited to, availability, sourcing and pricing of raw materials, the success of our subsidiaries, pressures on sales prices and volumes due to competition and economic conditions, reliance on and financial viability of significant customers, operating performance of joint ventures, alliances and other equity investments, technological advancements, employee relations, changes in construction spending, capital expenditures and long-term investments (including those related to unforeseen acquisition opportunities), continued availability of financial resources through financing arrangements and operations, outcomes of pending or threatened legal proceedings, negotiation of new or modifications of existing contracts for asset management and for property and equipment construction and acquisition, regulations governing tax laws, other governmental and authoritative bodies' policies and legislation, and proceeds received from the sale of assets held for disposal. In addition to these representative factors, forward-looking statements could be impacted by general domestic and international economic and industry conditions in the markets where the Company competes, such as changes in currency exchange rates, interest and inflation rates, recession and other economic and political factors over which the Company has no control. Other risks and uncertainties may be described from time to time in the Company's other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

REPREVE and It's What's In It are registered trademarks of Unifi, Inc.



For REPREVE
Jennifer Whisnant, 336-544-2418
jwhisnant@quixotegroup.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America North Carolina

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