Timberland X Thread: Meet Mirlande

Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland recently released three new Timberland X Thread men’s footwear styles for spring, made with Thread’s recycled Ground to Good™ fabric. Each product made with Thread™ fabric supports a vibrant network of dignified jobs in the developing world - jobs for Haitian entrepreneurs like Mirlande Joseph.

Mirlande lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Haiti, right next to the Truitier landfill, but recycling plastics is an integral part of her community. After taking the advice of her brother, Mirlande became involved in collecting plastics 10 years ago. “He said it is really profitable and he taught me how to get into it,” she says.

Collectors pick up plastic bottles and bring them to Mirlande, where she weighs the load and pays the collectors. She then sorts by color and puts the bottles in super sacks for a truck to deliver to a recycling facility. With a steady stream of collectors, she can have a super sack ready in 8 days.

The most significant thing Mirlande has been able to do since starting her business is send her daughter to school, as well as help her family when needed. When asked what she hopes for the future, Mirlande says: “I would like to see my daughter go to school, go to university, and become someone important in the country.”

To learn more about the positive social and environmental impact generated by the Timberland X Thread collection, visit timberland.com.