the true representation of what down is!!!

THE BEST USE OF DOWN I HAVE YET TO KNOW ABOUT!!!

Downlite, a major down and feather processor and supplier of responsibly-sourced performance fills to the outdoor, home furnishings and hospitality markets, embarks on its latest sustainability program. The company recently engaged an outside organic recycling company to utilize the large waste feathers that traditionally end up in landfill, and instead, treat them for soil compost. Much of the by-product Downlite’s collaborative recycling company receives for compost is food waste that has a high moisture content. The dry feathers help make the compost more manageable when mixed with other matter. Additionally, feathers have an added pore space that degrade the organic matter of the compost more efficiently. Lastly, feathers are rich in keratin, a protein that slowly releases nitrogen when added to compost. The slow release of nitrogen allows for long-term plant growth stimulation.

The down clusters and the feathers are composed of the same chemicals, so if the feathers are as beneficial as a component of compost the actual down clusters are as well.

Downlite’s composting program is the most recent in a series of ongoing environmental and sustainable initiatives. Last fall, the company installed a waste water recycling system (WWRS) to treat and recycle water used to process down. To date, Downlite’s WWRS has successfully allowed the company to treat and recycle over 20 million gallons of water – exceeding company expectations.

If all of the down and feathers are processed as compost they will not have to spend money recycling water that will not have been used in the first place. The water would then be available to grow the crops that are being helped to grow because of the compost.

“Our sustainability efforts go well beyond our sourcing and production processes, they also serve as the foundation for new products that we create for our partners,” said Chad Altbaier, VP Downlite Outdoor. “To help manage the upward costing pressure down is now facing, we will be introducing exciting hybrid insulations involving natural and recycled materials, which offer the dual benefit of enhancing the performance of the material, while being grounded in our core value of environmental stewardship. We look forward to announcing more information about our performance hybrid fills soon.”

I fail to integrate “sustainability, sourcing and production processes” together in a meaningful comprehension. How it will be the foundation for new products also has no meaning for me. However, do to the cost increases associated with the above statements that their sales of pure down is faltering so they are probably coming out with a down polyester fiber blend and of course they will use recycled polyester. This company sells many products for the home furnishing market so they already use polyester fiber and have processing equipment for polyester fiber.

At the forthcoming Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Downlite will present its new GRS certified (Certification

Global Registrar of Systems (GRS) Certification has been one of the pioneers in the system certification and training organisation. GRS is providing systems certification for ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 14001: 2015, OHSAS 18001: 2007 AS/NZS 4801:2001, ISO55001:2014, ISO 27001:2013. ISO 22001:2005, ISO 13485 and HACCP across Australia and New Zealand, and having its footprints in South Asian and the Middle Eastern countries.) I did not know what GRS certified was, so I looked it up.

re/charged down™, which the company introduced earlier this year. Not only is re/charged™ down 100% recycled, it is also 100% post-consumer, thus eliminating tons of material going into a landfill. re/charged down™ provides unprecedented performance levels for 100% recycled down due to its ability to ‘boost’ the down to a higher cluster and resulting fill power.

Re/charged down provides unprecedented performance? If this is so why not badger the down and then recharge it? Of course if they just added it to the compost pile they would again be saving money. Of course they don’t quite get it that down is really an obsolete form of insulation since continuous filament fiber otherwise known as Lamilite/Climashield exists.

Downlite is proud to have already commercialized this product with its outerwear brand partners for the FW18 season, (the FW18 must represent winter of 2018 since all winter of 2017 is being shipped to stores at this time of year) and will be donating 1% of its sales to 1% for the Planet. (Who exactly is in charge of the PLANETS bank account) Downlite will be exhibiting at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, July 26-29, 2017. For more information on all sustainability and new insulation offerings, please stop by booth # 155-316. About Downlite Downlite is America’s premiere manufacturer of down and feather, and synthetic (polyester fiber, why don’t they identify it?) bedding products. Its products – comforters, pillows, mattress pads, and feather and fiber beds – are sold under private label and national brand names in leading department stores, specialty stores, and catalogs, as well as to the Hospitality Industry. Downlite also supplies high-quality bulk fills to furniture, outerwear and sleeping bag manufacturers around the globe. Downlite is a bluesign® system partner, TDS and RDS certified, and a proud member of the American Down & Feather Council (ADFC).

I looked up RDS and TDS and could not find an explanation for either that deals with products this company sells.

I think they hit it on the head when they got involved with these compost processors. If they really wanted to help the duck and geese farmers they would give them all of the technology needed so they the farmers could convert their down and feather waste into compost that they could sell to farmers that grow crops.

This company like so many these days is playing on people’s emotions so they will buy products made with their obsolete materials and now via the compost explanation you know the true representation of what down is, and who better to explain it than a major down processor!!!!