Community Updates

Timberland Recognized for Innovative Partnership with Thread, Combining Sustainability and Social Impact

In spring 2017, global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland released a new collection in partnership with Thread, a Certified B Corporation that crafts fabric from plastic bottles littering the streets and landfills of Haiti. The Timberland X Thread collection of boots, bags and t-shirts goes beyond environmental sustainability, creating cleaner neighborhoods and meaningful new job opportunities. The collection recently received three distinct honors – from the Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards, The Stevie American Business Awards and Apparel Magazine Top Innovators Awards – for demonstrating innovation, responsible sourcing and social impact.

Published 7 years ago | About a 3 minute read

On June 6, Timberland’s partnership with Thread was honored as a “Project of the Year” at the 2017 Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards. The award recognizes excellence in products, services and projects that provide companies with environmental, sustainability and energy management benefits. Timberland’s purchase of 76,528 yards of Thread’s Ground to GoodTM fabric for the spring 2017 collection resulted in 765,280 plastic bottles recycled, and 30,521,203 gallons of water and 15,305 pounds of pesticide saved.
For the social impact of the collaboration, the brand received the “Gold” Stevie Award for Innovation of the Year in the Consumer Products category of the 15th Annual American Business Awards. More than simply recycling plastic bottles, the Timberland X Thread collection focuses on responsibility, transparency and creating social value. In Haiti, more than 1,300 local residents collect the plastic bottles that are developed into Thread fabric, creating much-needed income opportunities in the developing world. Through the partnership, 77 new income opportunities were created in Haiti, $2,295 in revenue was generated for Haitian bottle collectors and collection centers, and $14,540 was generated for Haitian recyclers.
Timberland was also recognized at the 2017 Apparel Magazine Top Innovators Awards, which are given to apparel retailers, brands and manufacturers that have demonstrated innovation at any point along the apparel supply chain. Each yard of Ground to GoodTM fabric is traced and tracked at every step of its journey, from bottle collection to fabric creation and to the delivery of the fabric bolt to the manufacturer, providing an unparalleled level of supply chain transparency. This transparency allows Timberland consumers to learn about the people, the vibrant stories and the impact metrics behind every Timberland X Thread product they purchase.

“The Timberland and Thread teams, including our employees, trusted partners and communities we aim to serve, are excited to receive this level of recognition for our partnership,” said Margaret Morey-Reuner, director of strategic partnerships and business development at Timberland. “We’ve successfully demonstrated that style and sustainability can be achieved without sacrifice. It’s our sincere hope that other companies are inspired enough by the holistic commercial success of this collaboration to consider partnering with material suppliers, like Thread, that are able to generate marked social and environmental impacts through the creation of dignified employment opportunities and first-mile transparency in the supply chain in developing countries.”

To learn more about how Timberland is making a difference in terms of its products, the outdoors and the communities it serves, visit: https://www.timberland.com/responsibility.html.