Sustainability

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Down fill is the natural choice for a sustainable lifestyle. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on down tested the impact of down versus polyester in 5 environmental areas: human health, ecosystems, resources, cumulative energy demand and climate change. On a per ton basis, down has between 85% – 97% lower impacts than polyester in all the impact categories analyzed, and has 18 times less of an impact on climate change than polyester fill.

The Sustainability of the Down Industry

This LCA was written and researched by Long Trail Sustainability (LTS), an independent, third-party specializing in LCAs, and commissioned by International Down and Feather Bureau (IDFB) of which American Down and Feather Council (ADFC) is an active member. Testing the environmental footprint of down fill material compared to the synthetic alternative acknowledges the sustainable impact of the industry. 

Click here to download a supporting infographic based on the report.

Capture

American Down and Feather Council (ADFC) is committed to ethical practices when sourcing down and feather. According to global agricultural industry statistics, it is estimated that about 186 million kilograms of down and feather are traded each year as a byproduct of the food industry. As a worldwide recycled waste product, down and feather maintains a low carbon footprint by cleaning, sanitizing and repurposing the fill material.

Sustainable and Ethical Practices of the Down and Feather Industry

This white paper offers a global assessment of the poultry industry and discusses common practices when it comes to the humane treatment of birds and sustainable sourcing.

Click here to download a supporting infographic based on the report.

Sustainable and Ethical_White Papern
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Additional Information

We offer supplementary marketing materials for those seeking industry insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

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