Pittsburgh Man Turns Trash Into Recycled Backpacks

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Pittsburgh man is turning trash into backpacks and jobs.

Ian Rosenberger told Pittsburgh Today Live that he was inspired by what he witnessed while visiting Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Ronsenberger debuts his line of backpacks made from recycled materials for all purposes, not just middle school.

"I traveled all over the world, and every chance I had to go back [to Haiti] I saw the same 2 things: a lot of poor folks and a lot of trash," said Rosenberger.

"He saw an opportunity by turning trash into treasure," said David Highfield.

Rosenberger has saved over 96 million plastic bottles from landfills and the ocean by processing them into recycled material. He has also created jobs in Haiti and Pittsburgh.

Rosenberger is the founder of the company Thread International, and the company has just released their first backpack made of the recycled material.

"[The backpack] makes you feel less like a middle-schooler, and more like an adult," said Heather Abraham.

Rosenberger creates backpacks for the modern adult that has abandoned the "college bag" for an over-the-shoulder bag or large totes, but later realize the utility of the traditional two-strap backpack.

Rosenberger's backpacks abandon the notion that all the pockets need to be visible on the exterior to appear useful by designing the bag to carry its weight on the inside, including anything from wine to yoga clothes.