This Is Not A Boot. This Is Change.
Timberland x Thread | Follow the Thread | Timberland
This is so much more than a boot. This boot is creating change. This boot helps create jobs, restore communities and build futures. Why? Because it’s made with one of the most responsible fabrics on the planet.
Thread Ground to Good™ fabric is made from 50% recycled plastic bottles reclaimed from Haiti and Honduras, which supports an ever-growing network of jobs in the developing world as well as the United States. The Thread X Timberland partnership is giving people an opportunity for a dignified job, to clean up their community, and ultimately, to continue the fight to end poverty.
But this is about more than just jobs and recycling, it’s about people.
Sevenet Pierre saw a greater opportunity when he learned about how the plastics process worked in Haiti. He started as a collector, and now runs several collection sites around Port-au Prince with around 200 people working for him. “I feel very proud to hire people who need jobs,” Sevenet says.
Because of plastics, he was able to build his house and pay for his children’s schooling, a goal he aspires towards for all of his collectors. “I have some workers that are now able to purchase goats and other animals,” he says. “I hope that all my workers will be able to build houses and send their kids to school.”
Mirlande Joseph lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Haiti, and recycling plastics is an integral part of the community. After taking the advice of her brother, Mirlande began to get involved in collecting. “He said it is really profitable and he taught me how to get into it,” she says.
The most significant thing Mirlande has been able to do since starting her business is being able to send her daughter to school, as well as help her family when they need it. When we asked Mirlande what she hopes for the future, she said: “I would like to see my daughter go to school, go to university, and become someone important in the country.”
After a friend told him how to get involved in the business, Clenord has been able to open four collection centers. He takes his earnings from recycling to buy pigs, which he believes are the best way to build up a savings account. “I’m happy when I see my business grow,” Clenord says. “When I have a problem, I sell a pig to solve the problem.”
Since he started his business in 2013, he’s been able to build a house, have a second child, and send his kids to school. For the future, he hopes to open more recycling centers and help create more jobs for his neighbors. Clenord closed our interview with a special message: “I would like to say thank you for supporting me to help my business keep growing.”
Through initiatives like this, we have been able to recycle over 9.6 million plastic water bottles and give them new life in our products. We are passionate about cleaning up our environment, supporting our communities and making great products as we’re doing it.
The story doesn’t end here. You can be a part of it too. Click here to check out our new Thread boots and support the ongoing effort to end poverty.