UK high street brands ban down feathers

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Jul 21, 2016

Topshop, Whistles, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse and White Stuff are the latest UK high street brands to band the use of down feathers after a PETA exposé.

The exposé, a collaboration between PETA US and PETA Asia, showed workers in China pin geese down and rip their feathers out as they struggle and scream. The geese are left with bloody wounds. 80% of the world's down is sourced from China and disturbingly, all the farms in the exposé have connections to retail suppliers that are certified by the so-called Responsible Down Standard (RDS), which prohibits live plucking of geese.

"Just as they did with cruelly obtained angora wool, forward-thinking fashion brands are jumping to meet the demands of today's compassionate consumers, who want nothing to do with an industry that rips out live birds' feathers", says PETA Senior Manager of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor. "PETA will continue to work with retailers across the UK to ditch feathers in favour of natural or high-tech synthetic fillers that are hypoallergenic, warm, eco-friendly and infinitely kinder to birds."

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As well as the previously mentioned brands, Hobbs, Dr Martens, Oasis, Primark, Wallis, Boohoo, and ASOS (own brand) have also pledged not to use down feathers.