The International Down and Feather Bureau (IDFB) commissioned Long Trail Sustainability to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) to provide a comprehensive, scientific method to answer the question whether down has a lower environment footprint than polyester. 61% of consumers today consider sustainability an essential factor when making product purchases. Down products offer an eco-friendly solution for those seeking a sustainable lifestyle. Down is a renewable resource used in a variety of bedding and apparel products, including hotel bedding products manufactured by Blue Ridge Hotel Textiles supplied to the world’s largest hotel brands.

The LCA underscores the sustainability of down. The assessment compared the environmental impact of down and polyester in five key areas: human health, ecosystems, resource utilization, cumulative energy demand and climate change. The results revealed that down has significantly lower impacts, ranging from 85% to 97% less compared to polyester in all analyzed categories. Notably, down has an 18-fold smaller impact on climate change compared to polyester fill. Visit www.blueridgehoteltextiles.com for the complete white paper.