Lab Note Published: 12/02/08

Recycling Down?

 

1) It was a new style of jacket we wanted to trial
2) The fabric used in the Filium was well received and is now the base fabric for the new Filo.
3) The down used in the Filium was recycled from a faulty batch of Filo's. 
 
We have been chatting at Alpkit HQ and wonder whether the recycling of down can happen on a bigger scale? Would you send us your old down products to be recycled in much the same way as the Patagonia capaline scheme.
 
OK, the first fact is we would have to ship the old down garments and sleeping bags to China on a big boat. We haven't got access to a down processing plant in the UK and the new shells for sleeping bags or jackets would be made in China. Currently there are more containers arriving with goods to the UK than being sent back so empty containers are being filled with our garbage destined for land fill or recycling in China.
The down would have to go through exactly the same cleaning process as virgin down, the only saving would be the life of a few geese. The recycled down would probably work out a little cheaper as a material than the same virgin quantity.
 
So is it worth it?
Would you send us your old down products or drop them off with us at a show?
Would you want reward for your old down products? 
Would this be payment upfront like the Millet Scheme?
or would you do it just for the love of the, er, geese, and reducing the amount entering UK landfill like the Patagonia scheme?
 
I'd love to know your thoughts.
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alpjim

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I would love to recycle down, but is this restricted to sleeping bags, or can we put Pillows, Duvets & cushions in this? I am sure we could fill a lot of containers going back empty.

Posted on 13 February, 2008 by Keith

I think you missed the point of the empty containers are being shipped to China anyway. I am not saying it is a perfect but it is happening.

http://www.interasset.com/info/coverage/CS_Mar07_p59-61.pdf

The comment about being filled with landfill is incorrect as legislation stopped the UK doing this a year or so ago, although recyclable waste is still shipped.

Posted on 13 February, 2008 by alpjim

Are you mad? Ship old down half the way across the earth to save a few geese! The carbon footprint of the boat/fuel is going to be much greater than that of farming more geese. Not to mention the environmental fate of goose down is much more clear than that of the tanker fuel. Lastly down doesn’t last very long, after 5-6 years it’s usually knackered because all the fibres start to break up as they become more brittle.

So no it is most definitely not worth it from an environmental stand point

Want to reduce land fill?  Bury your bio-degradable rubbish or compost it (including your down).

Posted on 12 February, 2008 by james

absolutely. down and feather/down mixes should be recycled whenever possible - even if it’s only to put into the cushions in the Alpoffice.

More importantly though, is where you get your down from, and whether it meets decent standards of animal welfare [no live plucking for example]and environmental standards. It’s one of the reasons I’ve put off buying a down bag so far.

Posted on 12 February, 2008 by obscured by clouds
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