You can get down, and be ethical: wear humanely sourced goose and duck down
What you need to know about where your down comes from and how it was plucked and processed
Faux fur trim is now vogue, replacing genuine animal skins that were commonly used to adorn jackets decades ago. Conscious consumers eschewed genuine fur, because there was an acceptable alternative, but in the case of duck and goose down, no synthetic can rival the real thing.
The good news is that you don’t have to give up wearing down in good conscience, if you shop with care when selecting down products, and you contribute to a sustainable industry by caring for your down products to make them last. Down, as an all-natural, biodegradable byproduct of the food industry has the potential, when sourced and processed responsibly, to be the most environmentally friendly insulation option available.
Feel good about your down
Where and how down is sourced and processed makes a difference, as harvesting down can impact the animals involved and our planet. Some down is sourced from birds that are plucked live, force-fed, or otherwise inhumanely treated. Furthermore, the process of washing down can deplete water resources and contribute to chemical pollution of earth, air and water.
Thanks to industry leaders in ethically sourced down, there is a way to find out the source of the down in the brands you choose by using the tool Track My Down. By entering the lot number of the product, consumers can get details on the origins of the down a brand uses. The site also features a page of allied partners, which includes brands like Helly Hansen, Mountain Hardwear, Black Diamond, Cotopaxi and other companies that are committed to transparency in the down supply chain.
The leader of this movement is Steve Uretsky, a veteran of the bedding industry, which is the primary market for down materials. Uretsky, founder of ALLIED Feather & Down, realized there was a need for high performance and technical down insulation beyond what was used in bedding, but he found that the supply chain was dependent upon a network of brokers who aggregate material from numerous sources with little to no traceability or transparency.
The Responsible Down Standard
Uretsky began to change down sourcing in the industry by establishing close relationships with farms and all aspects of the supply chain, allowing for more precise and better quality product. He helped ensured that no ALLIED down was coming from live plucked or force-fed birds, long before any animal welfare concerns or current standards were in place.
At ALLIED, Uretsky helped to build an industry-wide Responsible Down Standard (RDS), enforcing not only humane down sourcing but strict chemical management processes in down production. As of early 2017, 100% of his company’s down is sourced from certified farms and backed by some of the most rigorous animal welfare organizations.
Getting the down low on down
Buying only down that is ethically sourced is one way feel good about your down. Another way is to contribute to the sustainability of the down industry by properly caring for your product to make it last for many years.
In order to keep your down in working, you need a little education of what down is and why it must be treated, stored and laundered in certain ways to keep it functional for a long lifespan. For starters, a consumer must understand what down is. Down is not a feather. It is a fluffy three-dimensional cluster that lies underneath a bird’s feathers, like what covers a duckling before it gets its feathers. The down clusters are what constitute down, and this material is what traps heat and provides insultation from cold. For this reason, pure down, not a mix of feathers and down, has superior heat-holding properties.
Duck, duck, goose
The reason down products are primarily made out of duck or goose down is because these birds yield more down because of their size. Duck happens to be used in down products more because it is a more common food source, and down is a byproduct of the meat industry.
Other than the size of the clusters, there is no real difference between duck and goose down.
The reason some down fills are better than others has to do with how it is sourced, processed and cared for before it is put into a jacket or sleeping bag. Processing has a lot to do with the quality of the finished product. Cheaper processes use detergents to wash down and then high heat to dry it quickly. This processing method, however, removes the natural oils in down that keep it pliable and resilient. If the down loses too much of its natural oil, it becomes brittle and breaks down quickly, reducing performance and useful lifespan.
There are also quality determinants like the fill power, which relates to the size of the down cluster, where bigger is better, because the clusters can trap more air; and construction of down items, such as the way that down is contained in baffles or channels, which allow the down to keeps its loft to enhance its insulating abilities.
Down forever – caring for your down-filled products
Once you have chosen the best down product for your needs, keep it in great shape with these wear and care tips.
Cleaning and drying
Machine wash down products on normal cycle with a mild detergent, preferably using down product specific, in cold water, followed by an extra rinse cycle without detergent.
The primary element in the destruction of down products lies in improper drying. Drying too fast and too hot will make the down brittle, but not drying thoroughly will cause the potential buildup of mold and bacteria which will destroy the loft. Tumble dry low until completely dry. This make take several cycles. Add three clean tennis or dryer balls to the dryer to help re-fluff the down as it dries
Storing down jackets and sleeping bags
Your down products should be stored in an area away from high humidity. The product should also be allowed to breath and stored uncompressed to retain the down’s resiliency and high loft. If properly taken care of, a down jacket will last for years. Typically, the shell material will wear out before the down loses its loft, so the durability of the shell will generally determine the lifespan.
