When Brightline passengers board Nov. 8 for the first time in more than a year they will notice significant upgrades and enhancements. Among them, every one of the 1,100 seats has been reupholstered in Italian leather.
However, rather than tossing the old seat material into a landfill, Brightline partnered with Rethreaded, a mission-driven company that supports human trafficking survivors. The leather from the old seats is being transformed into bags, purses, wallets, keychains, cardholders and more.
“As we began the process of renovating our trains, we immediately recognized this as an opportunity to set an example, said Denaye Hinds, director of sustainability for Brightline. “We spent a great deal of time looking at various solutions with a goal of minimizing waste and that’s how we identified Rethreaded.”
Based in Jacksonville, Fla., Rethreaded was started by Kristin Keen to provide women on the street and in prison with a safe, supportive work environment where they could earn money while learning a skill. Its first full-time employee was hired in 2012. To date, Rethreaded has employed 74 survivors and contributed to the support of more than 4,000 women globally.
“Knowing that our leather seats will be responsibly repurposed was the immediate goal, knowing that we would create social impact and positive change became the focus,” Hinds said. “As we discovered Rethreaded also had a social benefit to bring awareness to an issue that involves our industry, we knew it was the right fit.”
As a bonus, Brightline will be purchasing some of its custom-made branded items to give pass holders.
Visit gobrightline.com or rethreaded.com.