The down or feathers found in down coats, comforters, and pillows come from ducks or geese that are raised for meat production and whose down is then used to fill coats. Some birds, unfortunately, endure live plucking while some of them are killed by cutting their throats and then placing their body in hot scalding water to pluck the feathers. Both of these practices are extremely cruel, painful, and senseless.
The only down that is collected manually and does not involve unethical practices of harming birds or raising them for meat, comes from the wild Common Eider duck found in Canada and Iceland. Some companies use Eiderdown for their coats but not many people would be able to afford the price tag.
There are certification groups like Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS) that regulate the supply of down or feathers that do not come from live plucking or force-fed birds. However, the down or feathers used by manufacturers who become certified by RDS or GTDS come from birds that were raised for meat production.
The good news is in recent years, many cruelty-free brands have come to the forefront offering coats that are warm, stylish, and not outrageously expensive. One of my favorite brands is NOIZE. I couldn’t be happier with my coat from NOIZE. My coat is warm and I feel good knowing no animal was harmed for the sake of keeping me warm. Other cruelty-free brands are Save the Duck, Matt and Nat, Will’s Vegan Store, and For All Kind.
If you are shopping for a new winter coat, please keep in mind, that no animal needs to endure pain or be killed for our consumer choices. There are plenty of cruelty-free options available on the market.
Photo courtesy of Four Paws
References:
1. Cosier, Susan. 2020, December 18th. Everything you need to know about buying ethically sourced down products. Audubon.org. https://www.audubon.org/news/everything-you-need-know-about-buying-ethically-sourced-down-products#:~:text=Farmers%20usually%20harvest%20goose%20down,welfare%20and%20advocacy%20groups%20say
2. Winter jackets without the cruelty of down. Peta.org. https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/winter-jackets-without-the-cruelty-of-down/
