What Is Ethical Down and the Responsible Down Standard? - Alpkit Our down bedding is made with European white goose down. You could fill up on down, but any one of these products makes an excellent gift or addition to your own camp setup. Reports discovered the widespread practice of live-plucking literally ripping the feathers out of birds while they were still alive. Well also discuss how to look for ethical down products and how ethical down compares to down alternative materials. Note that high heat can ruin the jacket, so be conscious of the settings on your tumble dryer. See what is keeping you warm! The Ultimate Summer Backpacking Gear Guide, Tortuga Travel Backpack 40L Is the Best Travel Backpack for YourMoney, 5 People Who Successfully Used AI To Plan Their Travels and How They DidIt, Travel Experts Predict How AI Could Forever Change How WeVacation, How To Use AI To Plan a Trip To Just About Anywhere, This Family Is Taking a 6-Month Trip Planned Entirely by an AI Travel Assistant, Download the Today, most duck and goose down comes from animals raised for meat. Understanding Ethical Sourcing in the Supply Chain - Intertek Downmark is a globally recognized certification issued by the Down Association of Canada. These include polyester, microfiber, and cotton. In this case, you could choose synthetic fill, or take care to wash your down bedding and use allergen-resistant pillowcases and comforter covers. Find out how to recycle your down equipment. We hope you love the ethically-sourced down products we recommend! Best Down Comforter With High Fill Power: Matouk Chalet Down Comforter Best Down Comforter For Allergies: Boll & Branch Down Comforter Best Colored Down Comforter: The Company Store. Join our newsletter for exclusive features, tips, giveaways! Ethically-sourced animal and plant products, like wool, organic cotton, and down raised and harvested under humane standards, help keep synthetic fibers out of our oceans and groundwater. Micro - Keratin Bonds | Micro Weft & Tape Extension - Instagram China, the worlds leading supplier of down and feathers, still produces live-plucked down wholesale according to investigations by PETA. Once harvested, the down is used to make the soft, compressible fill in bedding products like pillows and duvets. Ethics and Religion Talk: Is it ethical to 'spend down' to qualify for What Is Ethical Down? | Tuck Sleep It is their due diligence to not only ensure that their business has a positive, rather than a negative, impact on the world, but that the businesses they source from do as well. What Is Ethical Down? | Sleep Foundation News Everything You Need to Know About Buying Ethically Sourced Down Products A growing number of brands are prioritizing the welfare of the birds that supply the feathers stuffed into items like jackets, comforters, and pillows. Ethical down does not refer to how a product is made but rather how the fill is sourced. Instead, the certification denotes accurate information; to earn the ADFC stamp of approval, a company must list extensive information about where the down was sourced from. That said, its sustainability becomes more debatable when considering that even ethical down is often tied to the meat industry, which leaves a large ecological footprint. Ducks and geese, for example, have a lot of down because it helps keep them warm in cold water. What Is Ethical Down? | Wirecutter - The New York Times PETA, as it does, did some undercover filming at farms in China that live pluck, and claimed (with no proof) that live-plucked down finds its way into the RDS supply chain. Ethically sourced is when a product is sourced or supplied through means of sustainability, in terms of the item itself, environment and well being of the workers. Down feathers can be squashed into a very small space, yet spring back into shape without losing any loft. Find out how to recycle your down equipment. Check out our top picks for the best down alternative comforters. This allows consumers to see what is in their jacket and its history, Kaiser says. + Follow. We belong to communities that value environmental stewardship and ethical behaviour. The world's trusted guide to sustainable and ethical fashion. Down has a structure that traps lots of pockets of insulating air for very little weight. Everything You Need to Know About Buying Ethically Sourced Down The most expensive down in the world is eiderdown, which is hand-collected by indigenous groups and by commercial outfits in Canada, Iceland and Norway after its been shed by eider geese into their nests. The quilt itself is stuffed with 600-fill down. Often found in outerwear, as well as comforters, pillows, and mattress toppers, down is the soft under plumage that serves as insulation beneath the outer feathers of ducks and geese. There are about 60 brands committed to the RDS standard the . TheResponsible Down Standard(RDS) is a voluntary code of practice that was established in cooperation with animal welfare groups and the down industry. Because down jackets are water-resistant, they gained traction among outdoor enthusiasts (hence the original appeal to Eddie Bauer), who used them for everything from skiing to camping to hiking. Our favorite alternative down pillow is the. 700+ fill power is excellent, while 850+ fill power is for those who want the absolute best. Down is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers on ducks, geese, and swans. Its common knowledge at this point among people who fact check before they retweet that PETA is not a reliable source. Our down routinely tests well over 90% down cluster, which is brilliant. It is highly compressible and lasts a lifetime. Is Goose Down Ethical (and what are the Alternatives?) Once we have received your donations we forward them ontoRe:Down. We have much more on this in ourSustainability Report. The brands basic 650 Down Jacket, available in womens and mens options, will keep you toasty on cold evenings by the campfire and is great for everyday use during winter. Sourced from farms that meet quality of life standards for animals, Shoppers are able to track the source of the down, Usually more expensive than down that is not ethically sourced, Comes from ducks and geese that are raised for meat. Like all animal-derived products, some sources and methods of production are more humane than others. Ethical down refers to any down that passes the highest animal welfare standards and comes from birds that are protected from live-plucking and force-feeding. More information on the horrors of live plucking and farming of ducks and geese can be found on the PETA website. You can get down, and be ethical: wear humanely sourced goose and duck Its natural, durable and in high demand. You can now find retailers that are committed to only using ethically-sourced down. Many people use these terms interchangeably to mean that the products and services from each point of a supply chain have been obtained through ethical, environmentally sustainable, and socially conscious ways. Sustainable. Whether its in a jacket, pants, shoes, blankets, or sleeping bag, theres no better natural material for keeping people warm. Sustainability and ethical sourcing have become increasingly important for businesses and consumers in recent years to slow down the impact of climate change. What steps should businesses be taking to source more ethically? So we never blend or dilute our down - we keep our down the way it is when we receive it. When it comes to sustainability, down boasts a number of advantages. The Summer-weight Bavarian 850 is back in stock, The extremely popular, award winning comforter, Get Free Shipping on Orders Over $99* | Details. Can Feather Down be Ethical and Eco-Friendly? - Ecocult Down is difficult to recycle, butRe:Downcan giveuseddown productsan exciting new life. This is all just a general rule, though, so check the label on your specific product before tossing it in the washer to be safe. Take the Sleep Quiz to help inform your sleep improvement journey. All rights reserved. No. We've beenusing 100% Responsible Down Standard certified goose down since March 2015! Downmark. . But after you're done with your insulated clothing and equipment,whatcan you do withit? Ethical sourcing is the process of ensuring that the products made are obtained through responsible and sustainable methods. More information on the horrors of live plucking and farming of ducks and geese can be found on the PETA website. In general, products made with down alternatives do not last as long as those made with down. The company lists RDS and Global TDS certifications as voluntary but preferred attributes from purveyors. A shopper's guide to ethically-sourced down jackets - Quartz Edmund Hillary first summited Mount Everest wearing a Shetland jumper. Ethical down refers to any down that passes the highest animal welfare standards. For anyone wanting to source ethical down, you should look for one of four certifications: Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS) certification by NSF International, the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), Downpass, or Downmark. In response to the public backlash of the cruel standard for down production, many brands have adopted the Responsible Down Standard and other certifications, including the Canadian Down & Feather Company, Coyuchi, Downlight Bedding, North Face, H&M, Patagonia and IKEA. We belong to communities that value environmental stewardship and ethical behaviour. Despite the bad press around live-plucking, the down market is continuing to expand, and is expected to reach $8.2 million by 2015. This allows you to carry a much smaller pack without having to sacrifice any clothing or equipment. On a mission to protect the welfare of geese and ducks, the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is an independent, voluntary, globally recognized certification that acknowledges and rewards companies for ethical practices. These products generally have a certification from Responsible Down Standard (RDS), Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS), or Downpass. It prohibits live-plucking, force-feeding, and ensures that any product with the RDS logo is filled with 100% third-party audited and certified humanely-sourced down. Thats because down is extremely functional, and no company has yet come up with a natural material that works better. Unfortunately, there are knock-offs that try to pass their unethically-sourced down as ethical to make more sales. At Alpkit we only use RDS-certified down or100% recycled down. Down is the fluffy, light coating found clustered beneath goose or duck feathers. Ethical Sourcing is the process of ensuring that the products made are obtained through responsible and sustainable methods. Down is a tremendous insulator - you simply cannot get a better insulator that packs down well, keeps the weight low, and has excellent longevity. Also referred to as responsible or green down, ethical down refers to plumage plucked from ducks and geese without causing undue harm. For example, some down comes from animals raised free of unnecessary harm, but other down is sourced from farms that do not ensure this. These standards are based on the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, freedom from: hunger, thirst, pain, injury, disease and fear, in addition tothe freedom to express animal behaviours. and REI are two of the leaders, carrying a variety of companies that prioritize humane sourcing. The other big advantage of down is that it's highly compressible. We knew it was a problem crying out for a solution. Dont throw it in the dryer with the rest of your clothes, though its better to hang it or lay it flat on a clothing rack and let it sit for several hours. The RDS used to allow what is called "parallel production," or raising both certified and non-certified waterfowl on the. Men's Synthetic Insulated Puffy Jackets & Pants, Women's Synthetic Insulated Puffy Jackets & Pants. The Truth About Sustainable Down And Feathers | Panaprium Because its a byproduct of the food system, which usually raises geese and ducks in factory farm settings where theyre often exposed to neglect and abuse, the down they produce is unethical. The blue RDS logo indicates that the down clothing and equipment you buy is ethically sourced. That's why we use some of the highest lofting down available so you can shed a lot of weight without sacraficing warmth. What Is Ethical Down? Why Does It Matter? | Mattress Advisor The Global TDS also offers education and outreach to each level of the supply chain. Today, although preventing cruelty has become a major focus for many brands, cruelty is still occuring. Traditional down is made up of the fluffy small feathers that are underneath the large, stiffer adult feathers on waterfowl like geese and ducks. Does everything you make use down certified by the Responsible Down Standard? Each down cluster has a three-dimensional structure with thousands of tiny fibers branching out from its core.
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