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The Frontlines in America team is honored to have partnered with Homeboy Industries as it continues its mission in serving previously incarcerated and formerly gang-affiliated members of the Los Angeles community. We are grateful for the knowledge gained and relationships formed over the semester and we are excited to share our recommendations for Homeboy Threads moving forward.
Homeboy Threads creates new jobs for the members of the Homeboy community while offering sustainable solutions to apparel waste. Within the existing circular value chain of the apparel industry, Homeboy Threads has an opportunity to aid in decreasing the negative impacts to the environment, while also creating partnerships with brands and retailers that are focused on their overall social responsibility as they help promote and generate awareness around the greater Homeboy Industries mission. Through its mission, expertise, and proven success within the greater recycling industry, Homeboy Threads is uniquely positioned to be a valuable service provider to brands and retailers.
Given that apparel recycling is a nascent industry, one of the greatest challenges that Homeboy Threads faces is limited market demand for paid recycling services. Many companies have not yet allocated budget toward such services given low-cost substitutes such as landfills and a disconnect between values and behavior in consumers and investors alike. However, with the potential of increased regulation and shifts in consumer or investor behavior, Homeboy Threads can position itself for market opportunities that begin to emerge.
As the apparel recycling market continues to mature, Homeboy Threads can grow its existing revenues and create more job opportunities for those within the Homeboy community by forming strategic partnerships with brands and retailers.
In connection with our recommendation, we suggest Homeboy Threads:
Target upstream customers that are focused on sustainable apparel efforts, and looking for opportunities to educate brands and retailers that might have gaps or unawareness around downstream recycling specifically
Prepare for the impending enactment of the SB707 legislation, which will ultimately drive the market for downstream apparel recycling and create the ideal recurring service revenue opportunities for Homeboy Threads
Continue to execute online resale of apparel, investing in their ecommerce strategy in the short-term, while leveraging existing strategic partnerships for unsold/unused clothing and utilizing their geographic advantage in Los Angeles
We thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to work alongside you, for the warm welcome within the Homeboy community during our time in Los Angeles, and the continued collaboration with Notre Dame’s Frontlines in America program.