A difficult Decision: To Stick to the Policy or to Provide an Alternate Solution

This case is about the choice Thread international had to make after Kelsey Halling, the Director of Partnerships for First Mile, the supply chain for Thread International, became aware that underage children were working for the company’s collection network. It was an important decision because if this information becomes public, it might impact Thread’s brand and its relationship with other well-known companies that buy its products. Since its inception in 2010, Thread international has become a global leader in producing responsible fiber and fabric from recycled plastic waste. For years, the Thread International impact team worked hard to monitor their supply chain to prevent any incident of child labor in their First Mile collection network. Understanding the effect of using child labor and the implication that this situation has had on other companies, the management team had to decide on how to deal with this situation immediately.