DENVER — The Denver Broncos will provide fans 21-and-up attending 'Orange Sunday', the team's regular-season home opener against the Seattle Seahawks (2:25 MDT kickoff), with orange rally towels, presented by Bud Light, made from 100 percent recycled materials.
Believed to be the NFL's first promotional giveaway made from fully recycled materials, the towels are made from plastic Coca-Cola bottles. A detailed example of a localized version of the process is below:
- Coca-Cola bottles get hauled from Broncos Stadium at Mile High to the Waste Management – Denver Recycling Center on Franklin Street.
- The bottles are then delivered to a Materials Recovery Facility and sold to one of the United States' plastic processing plants.
- The processing plant sells either flake or pellets to yarn manufacturers and the yarn manufacturers sell the yarn to fabric weavers and knitters across the world.
- Fabric makers sell the fabric to cut-sew and decorating plants, where the towels are produced and decorated.
Quote from J.T. Marburger CEO/Founder Circular Solutions Advisor and Consultant to Coca-Cola
"I have built Circular Economy programs for major international sporting events around the world and this is our first program with the NFL. Recycling has no value unless new products are made from the recycled material. We are excited the Broncos are taking a leadership role and demonstrating this to their fans and the local community."
Quote from Antionette Williams, Account Executive, Prestige Properties, Swire Coca-Cola, USA, Stapleton Facility
"The Denver Broncos and Coca-Cola are teaming up to show fans the value of recycling. Recycling is the first step, but Coca-Cola and the Broncos want to create a 'Life-Cycle' story and make sure once the bottles are recycled they continue on a sustainable path."
Quote from Danny Papilion from G&G Outfitters, NFL Licensee
"We have never executed a promotion to this nature for any NFL team where the giveaway was made 100 percent out of certified recycled PET bottles collected from their own waste. To our knowledge, the Broncos are the first NFL team to do so."
