https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2019/04/29/pittsburgh-startup-partners-with-ralph-lauren.html

That famous logo of a mallet-wielding rider at full gallop now bears a bag for recycling, so to speak.

A Pittsburgh company that converts discarded plastic bottles into fabric has a new customer — the Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE:RL).

Thread International PBC Inc. is no stranger to working with major brands, supplying Timberland, Reebock and Aerie. Now its fabric is being used by Ralph Lauren for the retailer’s latest twist on its iconic polo shirt.

Last week, the Earth Polo, made from fabric created from recycled plastic bottles, debuted at $89.50 per shirt, according to www.RalphLauren.com. Each shirt is made from 12 plastic bottles and Ralph Lauren has pledged to recycle170 million plastic bottles by 2025.

Ian Rosenberger, Thread founder and CEO, declined to disclose financial terms.

“They’re kind of America’s brand,” Rosenberger said of Ralph Lauren. “We’ve been chatting for a year or so. We have a well-established pipeline of companies we want to work with.”

Rosenberger launched Thread in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, creating an initiative to pay people for retrieving plastic bottles which are in turn converted to fabric for clothing, footwear and accessories. Sourcing was subsequently expanded to Honduras and Taiwan.

Thread isn’t limited to fabric. Since 2016, Hewlett-Packard Co. has used its recycled plastic to manufacture inkjet cartridges.

Last year, Thread debuted its own first product, a bag it dubbed “the Better Backpack.” Rosenberger plans to extend Thread’s line while continuing to supply materials to other companies.