Thread X Timberland
We are proud to unveil a line of products developed with Thread’s Ground to Good™ fabric, harvested from plastic bottles littering the streets and landfills of Haiti. Thread is a group of self-proclaimed “responsibili-geeks” who have set out to make the most responsible fabric on the planet. A fabric that not only contributes to a cleaner planet, but also creates thousands of jobs in developing nations.
The Story
of Thread
Turning trash into
money = good
“I had the chance to go to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010,” says founder Ian Rosenberger. “In addition to falling in love with the country, the two things I saw the most were the same thing I saw in every low-income country I’ve ever traveled to; a lot of poverty, and a lot of trash. I literally wrote in my journal at the beginning of this process that if Haiti could turn trash into money, that equals good. It was that simple."
Bottle to Boot: delivering good with every fiber
Our Thread X Timberland products are created using recycled bottles from Haiti to create fabric in our boots. This means new jobs, cleaner communities and durable products. The process begins in Haiti:
1
More than 1300 Haitians collect plastic and sell it to 50 Haitian-owned and operated collection centers.
2
Center owners and individual collectors transport and sell sorted plastic to Haiti Recycling and ECSSA in Port-au-Prince.
3
At Haiti Recycling, the production line washes and shreds the bottles into a raw material called 'flake'. Flake is sent to the US.
4
US-based factories melt and shape the flake into a fiber that is woven into fabric.
5
Timberland purchases this high-quality fabric to create bags and boots.
6
When you purchase CityBlazer Boots, they are more than just good-looking. They’re downright good – for the planet and for the global community.
From Ground to Good™
Meet the faces of thread
“We could just source plastic from around the world, but that’s not where the real story is.” Kelsey measures, manages, and improves the impact Thread™ has on people in the ‘First Mile’ of Thread’s supply chain. Together with Richardson she ensures that Thread’s claims of making the most socially responsible fabric on the planet can be backed up by facts.
“What excites me is when we show the collectors a sample of what the plastics have been turned into. They’re like, 'Really?!' And they smile.” Richardson is Thread’s Haiti Field Manager, he’s a Haitian native that surveys all of the collectors in the Haiti supply chain. He makes sure center owners like Nancy and Nadine have everything they need.
“This business is all I have, my everything to be still alive. I want to be remembered as a woman who worked hard to take care of her daughter.” Nancy is the quiet force of nature running a recycling empire from her own backyard. She employs 14 people and supports 120 collectors, the majority of whom are women.
“I am so grateful to what recycling has done in my life. I am an entrepreneur, and a good one.” Nadine runs a recycling collection center in Les Cayes, which has two full-time employees and supports 20-30 collectors in her neighborhood. She lost her husband in 2012 and has six children, all of whom she now supports through her business.
“Growing up in Haiti, you see poverty in your everyday life. I’ve made it my mission to help out.” Ed studied entrepreneurship in the US before deciding to return home and found his recycling center, ECCSA. Ed buys bottles from collectors like Nancy and Nadine to sort, bale and shred into flake - the plastic commodity Thread can turn into textiles.
Ian is an idealist who believes that profit and people, economy and ecology, can thrive together. “Ending poverty is entirely possible in our lifetime; and to do it, we need to create as many dignified, sustainable jobs as possible.” Ian founded Thread in 2010 in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. He turned Thread into the social enterprise it is today - working with Timberland to make purpose-filled clothes.
Good for The Community, Good for the Planet: IMPACT STATS
Designing our boots and backpacks using Thread Ground to Good™ fabric contributes to more dignified income opportunities in Haiti and a cleaner planet for everyone. Check out the impact that Timberland's purchase of 76,528 yards of Thread™ fabric (vs products made with 100% conventional cotton) leads to:
765,280
bottles
recycled
30,521,203
gallons of
water saved
15,305
pounds of
pesticides avoided
77
income
opportunities
created in Haiti
$2,295
revenue generated for
Haitian bottle collectors
& collection centers
$14,540
revenue generated
for Haitian recyclers
From bottle to boot
Every time you lace up these boots, you (yes, you) support opportunities in the places of the world that need them most.