Are down pillows unethical?

While many consider down & feather pillows a luxury item, that luxury comes at a high ethical price. Birds are often plucked alive for their feathers and down, force fed for fois gras, and killed within four years of their birth. The industry is incredibly unethical and largely untransparent.

Are down pillows cruel?

All birds used for their down are inevitably sent to the slaughterhouse, where standard practice is to hang them upside down, stun them, and then slit their throats. There's nothing warm or cozy about the cruelty.

Are animals hurt to make down pillows?

While most down and other feathers are removed from ducks and geese during slaughter, birds in breeding flocks and those raised for meat may be plucked repeatedly while they are still alive. Plucking causes geese and ducks considerable pain and distress.

Is down ever ethical?

“Down is a superior material in terms of warmth and weight. It's environmentally friendly. It's also a byproduct of the food industry – if it wasn't being used by apparel companies it would still be there because people are eating the birds. The campaign groups sometimes forget that.”

Are geese live plucked for down?

Farmers usually harvest goose down after the birds are slaughtered for meat, and most geese are killed about 15 weeks after hatching. But farmers may also pluck the feathers when geese are still alive, a painful process akin to someone ripping out human hair, animal welfare and advocacy groups say.

Down vs. feather. The differences are explained here...

Can down be cruelty free?

It's impossible to tell whether the down used in the products you buy was obtained from live-plucked birds. The only way to stop live plucking and ensure that no birds suffer for your clothing or bedding is to choose cruelty-free materials. Please make the compassionate choice to sign the pledge to go down-free now!

Is North Face down cruelty free?

The RDS certifies down against animal welfare requirements and tracks it from the source to the final product. All of our virgin down is now independently certified to the RDS. We started using RDS-certified down in our products in Fall 2015 and since Fall 2016 we have only purchased RDS-certified down.

Is feather and down cruelty free?

No finished product has been tested on animals. We follow our customers animal testing policies for third party manufacture. No ingredients used in Creighton's, Potter and Moore or branded products have been tested on animals.

Are down pillows vegan?

Down is yet another animal-based substance that vegans must avoid. As with nearly all items taken from animals, the production of down entails substantial animal cruelty. Down consists of the fluffy super-fine fibers that cover the skin of geese and ducks.

Are ducks killed for pillows?

Down, the soft layer of feathers closest to birds' skin, is used to make clothing and duvets. But behind the fluff lies a harsh truth, as these feathers may be violently ripped from the bodies of ducks and geese while they're still alive.

Is it cruel to buy feather pillows?

Myth 2: Birds Are Hurt for Their Down

Sometimes, they were hunted, and some other times, they had their down plucked in the most painful manner. But, that was before the animal protection regulations were passed. Today animal cruelty is banned in all forms, and this applies to the manufacturers of down pillows as well.

Are Ikea down pillows cruelty free?

Avoid Live Plucked Down

Major product suppliers like Sweden's IKEA, the UK's Marks and Spencer and America's Patagonia have publicly avowed not to include live-plucked down in their goods.

Are birds killed for down?

(Down is a by-product of the meat industry, and many birds used for down are also slaughtered for their meat and livers.)

Are goose pillows ethical?

While many consider down & feather pillows a luxury item, that luxury comes at a high ethical price. Birds are often plucked alive for their feathers and down, force fed for fois gras, and killed within four years of their birth. The industry is incredibly unethical and largely untransparent.

How is down ethically sourced?

Producing Ethical Down. By comparison, ethically sourced down comes from birds that have been raised and treated with decency. To be considered ethical down, live plucking and force-feeding is prohibited.

Are geese killed for down comforters?

Most of the down is a byproduct of the food industry - ducks and geese to be sold for roasting are plucked after they are killed. Down and feathers, the external plumage, are also plucked from live birds during the molting season, but this is now rare.

How are down feathers collected?

The process usually involves scalding the birds' bodies in hot water for one to three minutes so the feathers are easier to pull out. The body feathers can then be plucked (often by hand), after which the down is removed by hand or machine.

Can vegans wear down jackets?

Vegan insulated jackets may be called: synthetic insulated jacket, synthetic down jacket, vegan down jacket – or brands may use their own type of synthetic insulation. Either way, it will be labelled as vegan or synthetic.

Does Patagonia use animal fur?

Animal welfare

Patagonia uses leather and exotic animal hair and states that it sources wool from non-mulesed sheep. Patagonia's down is accredited by the Responsible Down Standard and the brand does not use angora, fur, or exotic animal skin.

Is Patagonia or North Face More Ethical?

Four Paws, an independent animal-welfare group that advocates for the ethical treatment of, agrees that Patagonia's standard is superior.

Is Canada goose down ethical?

Canada Goose jackets are products of cruelty, and it's not just coyotes who are killed. The company also uses down from birds who died violently. Geese used for their down are inevitably sent to the slaughterhouse, where standard practice is to hang them upside down, stun them, and then slit their throats.

What is down PETA?

Down is the soft layer of feathers found on geese's and ducks' chests. Many companies stuff this down into pillows, jackets, and other things. And to get the feathers, workers often rip them out by the fistful from birds who are still alive, which is painful and stressful for them.

Are down comforters cruelty-free?

Our Down is a by-product from the poultry industry and has not come from live plucked or force fed birds. Our down adheres to the Five Freedom Policy set out by the World Organisation for Animal Health and European Convention for the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes.