BIG UPS FOR SYNTHETIC DOWN
By Doug Schnitzspahn
Remember that classic big down puffer hanging up in the closet waiting for those cold days? How often have you used it recently? How comfortable are you when you think about where that down came from? These are important questions. Outdoor consumers are making different choices when it comes to what they wear out in the cold and they want to know the environmental cost of the fabrics that keep them warm. Those attitudes are not necessarily new but what is changing is the options available to them. Synthetic down is on the rise as technologies make it both lighter, warmer, and more ethical.
Ethical down suppliers and certification programs such as the Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS) have certainly been changing the game when it comes to natural insulation. Allied Feather + Down has been a leader on this front and sources responsibly harvested down and gives brands consumers the chance to track the supply chain for full understanding of how the product gets to them. Its ExpeDry product even provides an eco-safe hydrophobic down. Still, not all consumers, and especially younger consumers, want down.
“The consumer in general is a heck of a lot more educated now because almost everyone has access to some sort of video,” says Joe DiGirolamo, Thermore U.S. director of sales. “If you start fishing around on YouTube, you’ll see some things that are rather disturbing. Not everyone is unethical when it comes to down harvesting, but it is still happening. The younger clientele are aware of this and what we’re hearing from them is ‘I don’t really have to buy that down jacket anymore. I actually have a choice now. I have this other option where I could actually get a jacket made out of recycled plastic bottles that were heading for a landfill and it works as well as my old down jacket.’ That’s a pretty compelling story for a lot of people, but especially younger people.”
The problem with synthetic insulation of course has always been its cost to the environment. Plus, it never has the loft, packability, and feel of natural down. But Thermore, a family-operated Italian company that prides itself on its willingness to trust employees under age 30, feels it has addressed both environmental and performance concerns in its new EVOdown. Made from 100% recycled PET from plastic bottles, the hybrid material combines the best qualities of blown free fibers and rolled fibers, giving the insulation warmth with less bulk, loft, the ability to pack down, and a soft hand. It’s also more versatile than relying on just blown insulation, giving manufacturers—Thermore partners with the likes of Nike, Brooks Brothers, EMS, Karbon, and Levi’s—more options when it comes to product design.
“Our goal, whether its for our suite of blown Ecodown products or hybrid EVOdown, is creating synthetic, fully recycled down alternatives that perform really well, that can withstand machine washing and drying, and are resistant to clumping,” says DiGirolamo, who stresses the ecological benefits of the fabric. “It’s not unusual to see 15-20 bottles of recycled content in one garment, which is significant.”
Back to that big old puffer in your closet. The new puffer will not only be more sustainable. It will be lighter and more durable. And that in turn also leads to a lower carbon footprint. Durability doesn’t sound sexy but it equals sustainability,” says DiGirolamo. “Rather than having this transient attitude about your garments there’s a movement to keep them longer and use them more. You want to educate or train the consumer to think a $300 outerwear piece is not just another disposable item that they can add to their repertoire.”
The end result: the new synthetic puffer will be lighter and just as warm as that big old down beast—but consumers will use it more and keep it around for a long time.
