Thread International is a mission-oriented, Pittsburgh-based manufacturer that creates fabric from discarded plastic bottles. Plastic waste is collected in Central America and is transformed into textiles that have been used by brands, such as Timberland, Adidas, Reebok, and Marmot. Continuing to pursue its “responsible products” mission, Thread is transitioning from a business-to-business (B2B) to a business-to-customer (B2C) firm, using a crowdfunding campaign to launch its own new product–A Better Backpack.