Thread 2013 Impact Report

Impact Report 2013



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\"Poverty is an epidemic. Ending it is possible by the time I have grandchildren. The cure is good, dignified jobs.\"03

In 1980, about 70 percent of the global population found themselves struggling to exist.In 2014, almost half of our planet, 43 percent, struggles under the type of extremepoverty we see in our work each day in Haiti.Poverty is a disease. Today, it affects nearly 3 billion people, making it roughly 90 timesthe size of HIV, its next closest viral neighbor (today HIV affects 34 million globally,still mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa). Like HIV, poverty is most often degenerative,fatal, and brings with it a host of stigma that renders those affected outcasts in theircommunities. Poverty is not an evolutionary accident or a mutation, but the result ofhistorically given and economically driven forces. That we have held up and perpetuatedthis infrastructure proves that it is destructible and binds us to dismantling it. Whenit comes to the treatment of poverty as a corrigible disease however, there is a still aremarkable silence from the global community.A search of the largest NGOs in America indicates that when it comes to the poor,generosity is directed almost exclusively towards poverty's symptoms; hunger andhomelessness chief among them. Well meaning as we are, certainly: I'm afraid thisapproach is the equivalent of ordering hospice care for a Stage One cancer patient.We are so busy palliating those stricken by the disease, we have not stopped toconsider that we might yet end it. At Thread, we believe ending poverty isn't a projectfor 100 or 200 years from now, but something society can accomplish before we havegrandchildren of our own. So what's it going to take?We're fortunate to spend a great deal of time with the poor. The partnership that Threadprocesses it's plastic through is called Ramase Lajan (founded by Bob Goodwin atExecutives Without Borders). We've spent days upon days talking with the over 1600people who have access to income opportunities through this program, as well as withfriends at Haiti Recycling where our plastic is washed and ground, and with dozens ofHaitians we consider family in the slums of Cite Soleil and Menelas, Port-au-Prince.It's been through conversations with the poor that we've begun to understand thatsolutions present themselves when we allow ourselves to walk a mile in the shoes ofthe people we serve. It is in this solidarity that we realize the things that unite us aremuch more abundant than the things that divide us, and the difference between rich andpoor, or first world and third world, are actually limited only to the zeroes in our bankaccounts. There is only one world, there are only people, and we've learned that we allwant the same things: a decent job and a better life for our children than we ourselveshad. We hope you enjoy what follows here as an account of our impact so far.Here's to new friendships, new fabric, and creating as much medicine as possible in 2014.Ian RosenbergerFounder and CEO

Thread transforms trash in thepoorest countries into dignifiedjobs and useful stuff people love. 05





collect + recycle + transformone billion pounds of trashinto useful stuff people love by 2032

You may have heard the termtriple bottom line. This is how webuilt Thread - a social businessthat focuses holistically on people,planet, and profit.All three are equally important toour decision making and growth.

In 2013, Thread officially became a Certified B Corporation! BCorps meet rigorous standards of social and environmentalperformance, legally expand their corporate responsibilities toinclude consideration of stakeholder interests, and build collectivevoice through the powerof the unifying B Corporation brand.Becoming a B Corp gives Thread a chance to share best (and worst)practices, collaborate on new products, and develop relationshipswith a community of over 910 other B Corps across 29 countries in60 industries. 10

plastic waste generated in Port-au-Prince unemployment rate in Haiti number of Haitians that live on $1.25 a day per month or less Central Intellegance Agency Independent Waste Audit www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html Office of the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor http://www.lessonsfromhaiti.org/relief-and-recovery/key-statistics/* The process begins in Haiti...t1hOBfto.hebvoOueeRyrnvdrRaEedec1marxero,emd1s3alcl,,0saeb3uc0esc0ytoiet0HLvEllpeaLaHexsljaeicaaatjcWtisniaatutpinniipattclishanrp,voossearpgtuosnapirtgcdraaWrBtermieaictoatamiirhcrp(rdfnio,naopeiutuanrittnsnge)dg,ienidn a2cpRPsa.rrpocClaoarsomofossniltstlast,eischsoLeceetrataihseojcLcaedrshoansocbujcascloynedenoutnallrbnlcltyenyetop.rcorlSlcytlan.oieipsosElcoptnlatienarcincococsdtethfonooinrtoccre2tawseeed6nnnrntbsdRotteeeyadr2rramu6sainsnnaosdne- Riinn3add.miivvRiaidadsmuueaaaLllsacceojoalLlnlleaeccjcatetononrrtcsseertmnrotaaewnnrsnaopegworernstteararannsnddasnspedolrlt cash focratshheifroerftfhoertir. effort. by a HaoitpiaenraetnetdrebpyrHenaietuiarn. s. soofrttheed sreocrytecdlarbelecsycaltaHblaeistiafonroswanleedatand Hoapitei rRaetecdycHlianigti'sRpercoyccelisnsginingPfaocritl-iatyui-n Port-au-1PrinceP.rince.h4a.itHiaanitoi wRenceydclainngd pouprecrhaatesdesh, abiatiles the5.pTrhoedupcrtoidonucltinioenwliansehweassahneds and th6e. TrehseurletisnugltfilnagkeflaiskepaisckpaagcekdaginedtointoRaencdycsltionrgesputhrechbaostetlse,sbianlepsreapnadration shredsshtrheedsbothttelebsoitntlteosainrtaowa raw largel'asrugpee'rsusapcekrss'aacnkds'saenndt tsoenthtetostores tfhoer bthoettplersodbuecftoiroentlhineey.run materialmcaaltleerdia'lflcaaklele' d 'flake.' united Statetsh.e United States.through the production line.* Thread's supply chain is the result of great partnerships including the Ramase Lajan program, founded by Executives Without Borders and includingHaiti Recycling. See the 'Partners' section for more information.

...and continues in the USA acpu.apsr9tto.nowPemoresewrreeasdrlesabdoryebgtyaahibTnrlheearaectdcoaedusTMtsiltioze a suThstraeianda'sblGyraonudndsotociGaolloydTM faba.ac7fsil.eliatUdike.fSsea.mc-gbtoeoaelrstsyeatdwnopdhareeourxdet.urSiuct.tdiiseonthe repslpaotfnosrimbl,ewfhaibcrhictrfaocrktsh&eir mflealkteedinatondfibeexrtraunddewdeianvtoe it prosdhuacrtess. the impact with fiber, andintthoefnabwroicv.en into fabric. customers. b8..fFaabbrriicc iiss ssoollddttooPpoowweereredd b. t1h0r.eBaadgfsa,bgraicrmiseunttisliozred in final bbyy tThhrreeaaddTMcucsutsotommeersrsfotor bceut goaocdcse,sssuocrhiesasPobwagesre. d By acnudt asnedwsienwton ainftionacol npsruomduecrt. ThreadTM are more than a good products. - they represent good. pounds of Haitian waste people provided with income or Haitians benefiting from job training andprocessed into a valuable raw employment opportunities in Haiti* professional developmentmaterial and exported to U.S. * Includes supplemental income earned by individual collectors and full or part-time employmentmiles eliminated from typical supply fewer kg of CO2 emissions released due revenue generated by Haitian businesseschain compared to Asian sourcing or to transportation compared to Asian sourcing manufacturing per trip

Thread’s success and impact are adirect result of partnershipsand the organizations we dobusiness with.As part of our effort to create completely transparent andsustainable supply chains, we partner with organizationswhose missions and core values resonate with our own.Thread believes strongly in the power of Private/Non-profitpartnerships, as well as strengthening and improving existingHaitian businesses. Through these partnerships, we’veexpanded our collection efforts, improved the operations of localbusinesses, and added value throughout our supply chains.

Executives Without Borders serves as the bridgebetween those in the non-profit world and those in thebusiness world, making it easier for everyone to worktogether and drive better results for those who needthem most. ExecWB is the founder of the programRamase Lajan, which is responsible for the vast majorityof the collection of plastic in Thread’s supply chain.The phrase Ramase Lajan means “Picking Up Money”in Haitian Kreyol. This program collects the plasticbottles clogging the canals, jugs overflowing thedumpsters, and the 1,500 tons of new plastics importedinto Haiti every month. A collaboration betweennon-profits and businesses, Ramase Lajan allowsus to solve problems in Haiti with a dual approach- providing jobs and value, while supporting theneighborhoods in which we work.Thread has partnered with Haiti Recycling in theproduction of PET plastic flake. Haiti Recycling believesin empowering communities by stimulating the rise ofentrepreneurship through the recovery of recyclablematerials. Haiti Recycling is a Haitian family-ownedbusiness started in 1976.Moop specializes in handmade bags for men, womenand kids. They design and manufacture each bagstart to finish in their Pittsburgh studio. They providemindful labor behind every Moop bag and are firmbelievers in concise, durable, well crafted design.In 2013, Moop became Thread’s first “Powered By”customer, utilizing our sustainably sourced fabricin the construction of “The Backpack.”

Ramase Lajan centers have collectedover 70 Million bottles since theprogram started in 2011.

Ramase Lajan Collection Center at Delmas 31 Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

In addition to supporting communitiesthrough solvent business, Threadbelieves strongly in volunteerismboth at home and abroad.We are proud to be involved in the A Billion + Changecampaign. Founded by a group including the TaprootFoundation and the President's Council on Service and CivicParticipation in 2008, the campaign “mobilizes billions ofdollars of pro bono and skills-based service to address coreissues communities face across the country and around theworld.”On top of individual interests and volunteerism, members ofThread donated over 1,600 volunteer hours and additionalresources as a team to the following groups and causes inHaiti and in the U.S.: 17

Team TassyTeam Tassy prepares and places the poor into good,dignified jobs, including jobs at Thread, so that theycan pull themselves out of poverty forever. In 2013,Thread employees spent over 1,600 volunteer hoursproviding expertise in strategic and business planning,marketing, events planning, and services to TeamTassy families in Haiti. As Thread continues to grow inHaiti, Team Tassy will supply a qualified and trainedworkforce for the various types of jobs that willbecome available.Big Brothers Big Sistersof Greater PittsburghIn 2013, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburghimplemented a new initiative, STARTup SOMETHING,connecting local Pittsburgh start ups with the youththey serve. The initiative introduces youth to emergingcareer opportunities in technology and entrepreneurship.Thread is honored to have been part of this educationalinitiative, leading a weekend workshop in October 2013focusing on recycling and social business practices.

We believe strongly that what you measure is what you care about.To ensure we are having the most positive impact we can,we are committed to measuring our effect across social, environmental,and economic spectrums.Our metrics are based on a number of accredited and globally acceptedstandards and procedures. We recognize that standards and evaluationare constantly evolving fields and anticipate shifting our methodology asnecessary to best serve our employees, customers, partners, and thecommunities we work in.Thread’s 2013 goals were influenced by the following guidelines:o The Fair Labor Association Code of Conduct and Compliance Benchmarkso Patagonia Social and Environmental Compliance Benchmark’s for Suppliers 2013o The United Nations Post-2015 Development Agendao The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Indexo Thread's Materiality Matrix - a scorecard we custom- developed to evaluate the 38 criteria most relevant to our business and the countries in which we work 19

Job* creation in Haiti Goal ActualGoal: Support 135 indirect jobs.Actual: Supported 152 indirect jobs.*Full or Part-time employment, not including supplemental income earned by collectionSupport Haitian businesses and entrepreneursGoal: Support $500k USD in revenue for Haitians.Actual: Supported $164,931.10 USD in revenue for Haitians.Increase income opportunities in HaitiGoal: Support 1,500 income opportunities for Haitians.Actual: Supported 1,530 income opportunities for Haitians.Increase pounds of recyclables removed from waste stream, streets and canalsGoal: Support collection of 2.4 million pounds of recyclable materials.Actual: Supported collection of 2,490,577.5 million pounds of recyclablematerials.Waste processingGoal: Process 600,000 lbs of plastic trash into a valuable export.Actual: Processed 660,000 lbs of plastic trash into a valuable export.Skills and knowledge transferGoal: Support job training and professional development for at least 100 Haitians.Actual: Supported job training and professional development for 132 Haitians (Approximately 20% of Ramase Lajan center owners participated in a peer-mentoring program).Decrease green house gas emissionsGoal: Decrease transit emissions in supply chain emissions by 50% when compared to typical plastics recycling supply chain.Actual: Decreased transit emissions by 80%. Thread's material transit is responsible for releasing 686kg of CO2e's for every trip from Haiti to the USA as compared to 3,289 kg of CO2e's in a typical plastics recycling supply chain, regularly including trips between Asia and the USA.Minimize work-place accidentsGoal: Establish a culture committed to workplace safety and health at each level of our company's supply chain, with zero work place accidents.Actual: Three work-place injuries were reported in 2013.



From the moment a bottle is picked up in Haiti, until it istransformed into fabric and sewn into a final good, there areamazing men and women making this process happen. Here area few stories of the people we are proud to work with from Ground toGood.™In 2014, we will unveil our proprietary Powered By Thread ™platform, which will track and share the individual stories of everyproduct made with Thread fabric. Here are some of the stories westarted tracking this year.

Ramase Lajan is an initiative founded by ExecutivesWithout Borders. Since the program's inception in2011, the partnership has grown to include Thread,Haiti Recycling, CSS International Holdings,Samaritan's Purse, and more than 20 other non-profit organizations operating across Haiti.Anyone is welcome to collect and bring recyclables tothe 26 Ramase Lajan centers located across Haiti.Center staff weigh materials and pay collectors on aper pound basis for the recyclables they bring.The Ramase Lajan network is growing with centersstrategically placed throughout Haiti.

Ramase Lajan collected2,490,577.5 lbs of plastic in 2013. 24

\"Through Ramase Lajan, we are seeing more people trained in sanitation and taking active responsibility for the environment and their community's health.\" - Adam Wilchide, Samaritan's PurseMary Rose And Johnny Atilus

Plastic recycling now provides income opportunitiesfor thousands of Haitians across the country. Someuse plastic collection as a way to supplement theirexisting income, some have turned it into a full-timejob, bringing in volumes that support their families.The majority of collectors who feed into Thread'ssupply chain bring their recyclables to Ramase Lajancenters. Some arrange for transport directlyto Haiti Recycling in Port-au-Prince. Mary Rose,pictured with her granddaughter Naime andExecutives Without Borders employee Johnny Atilus,is a collector who participates in the Ramase Lajanprogram.Mary Rose joined the Ramase Lajan network inOctober 2013, when a collection center sponsoredby World Vision USA opened in her neighborhoodof Croix-des-Bouquets. Mary Rose now bringsrecyclables to the center twice a week, and she usesthe income she earns to help support her householdand save for Naime's future school fees. 26

Jean Jean-Claude Antonio Louis Marc27

All Ramase Lajan centersare owned and operated byHaitian entrepreneurs. Inaddition to being leadersin their communities,these entrepreneurs arecommitted to improving theenvironment of their countryand bringing opportunity totheir neighbors.

Manique Laguerre  Project DrouillardMacenat Charlemagne Wharf JeremyEliane Pierre Richard Wharf SoleilAntonio Louis Marc TeboPastor Loughins Canape VertGerome Woodelson Delmas 31Price Dadji-Max Jean Delmas 71Marc Andre Ledain “Babo” LegoaneEtienne Mario CarrefourDuverne Joseph Yvan LeoganeWilfrid Port-Louis MartissantGuillaume Gregory GressierPastor Wilner Boucher MiragoaneClaudette Dorevil MirrebalaisEtienne Jean Mizael Les CayesNadine Philippe Les CayesChristianne Filsaime Cap HaitienReuben Meister Cap HaitienGustave Chery Ti GoaveRadlyn Archelus Croix-des-BouquetsKarlyl Jean Baptiste TabarreOhlex Baptiste LambiMartha Casseus JacmelGedene Antoine Louis GonaivesJean Jean Claude Saint Marc

Macenat Charlemagne Pastor Boucher WilnerJoseph Yvan Duverne and Friend Wilfrid Port-Louis

Manny lives in Cite Soleil, one of the poorest neighborhoods in theWestern Hemisphere. In December of 2011, he was chosen as oneof the Ramase Lajan program’s first center owners. Now his centeris consistently one of the highest performing centers in the networkbringing in more than 30,000 lbs of recyclables each month.Manny’s center employs 4 full-time and 2 part-time employees andprovides regular income for at least 60 individual collectors. Mannyalso serves as a Ramase Lajan mentor, offering advice and feedbackto new and struggling center owners. He has 3 children and uses hisincome to pay for his kids’ school and support his family. Mannique was the first center owner to serve as a mentor in the Ramase Lajan peer mentoring program. In 2013, he advised several center owners in his community, helping increase collection efforts and revenue generated 31 program-wide.

Mannique Laguerre



Johnny Atilus is the Ramase Lajan in-country program coordinatorresponsible for overseeing all 26 centers and assisting in the dailyoperations of the program.Richardson Gustave, Evens Lubin, and Jean Baptiste 'Cuz' Sherlandassist center owners as they bring their materials to Haiti Recyclingand manage program inventory.Funded and coordinated by Executives Without Borders, this teamruns the day to day operations of the Ramase Lajan program, troubleshooting, increasing capacity, and ensuring center owners have allthe tools they need to successful run their businesses. 34

Robert Goodwin is the CEO of Executives WithoutBorders and got involved in Haiti supporting firstresponders soon after the Haiti earthquake. Afterengaging business skills and expertise to expandthe delivery of safe water and streamline theprocurement and delivery of supplies used to buildshelters, he and the organization decided to make along-term commitment to Haiti.Leveraging his relationships with CSS InternationalHoldings, GS Industries/Haiti Recycling, andSamaritan's Purse, Bob established the RamaseLajan program that now includes over 14 partnersand 26 centers across the country, run by Haitianentrepreneurs. Bob says, \"The best thing for me isseeing someone bring plastic to a center for the firsttime and their disbelief that something that they oncethought was garbage is now worth money, seeingthem invest those funds in food for their families andto pay school fees for their families.\"Bob has a diverse background as a businessman,former Air Force officer, and official at the US Agencyfor International Development, State Department andDefense Department. He has experience workingin over 40 countries. Executives Without Borderscurrently runs programs in Haiti, Brazil, Honduras, andIndia.Through all of his work, Bob found that businesscould be a force for good, and with that philosophy,he established Executives Without Borders with somefriends from Harvard Business School. Since 2007,ExecWB has improved humanitarian programs acrossthe globe and found it possible to create conditionsfor sustainable development and for companies to dowell while doing good. 35

\"The best thing for me is seeing someone bring plastic to a center for the first time...andseeing them invest those funds in food and to pay school fees.\"

\"By partnering with Thread,Moop is able to introduce a new,eco-friendly material to theircustomers while continuing tosupport their personal businessethic of creating good jobs fortalented people.\" 37

Moop specializes in canvas bags, designed and manufactured, startto finish, in Pittsburgh. Wendy founded Moop on the principle ofgood design, quality construction and durable materials, made inhouse. She is committed to a process of in-house manufacturingand supporting fellow small businesses through material sourcing.By partnering with Thread, Moop is able to introduce a new, ecofriendly material to their customers while continuing to supporttheir personal business ethic of creating good jobs for talentedpeople. Where fabric comes from is important. With Thread'sfabric, Moop is able to continue their commitment to ethicallysourced materials while supporting a likeminded goal of jobcreation and empowerment through creative practice.





Thread's first fabric sample was produced in 2013 | Partnership inquiries: [email protected]

\"The most exciting part of working with RamaseLajan was when the program took a life of its own andpartners from all over the world contributed to solvingthe problem of plastic waste in Haiti.Now Thread is transforming these bottles into fabricthat is environmentally and socially conscious.I truly believe that recycled polyester will be the fabricof the future.\"- Stephan Sajous, Haiti Recycling