Having persuaded many leading brands and designers to stop using fur and leather, animal rights activists have set their sights on convincing more brands to do away with down feathers.
The Stockholm-based global retailer H&M has vowed to no longer source virgin down for its brands.
Asked for comment Friday, a H&M spokesperson issued the following statement “We can confirm that we aim to only use down and feathers from post-consumer recycled sources by the end of 2025. This is in line with our long-standing ambition to shift toward recycled and sustainably sourced materials across all the materials we use. Currently, we estimate around 90 percent of the down and feathers in our products come from post-consumer recycled sources.”
The company will have an exact figure once this year is over and that component has been audited.
H&M, like many other apparel companies and home decor brands, uses down feathers for puffer jackets, pillows and other items. The popularity of puffer jackets has been so long running that the category has turned into a fall and winter wardrobe staple. Lightweight styles and vests have extended their seasonal appeal for some consumers.
But increased competition and unseasonably warmer winters in some regions of the world has made the category more challenging for some brands. Despite that, in the U.S., the down jacket market was $178.76 billion last year and it is expected to increase at a CAGR of 12.2 percent from this year to 2030 — with an estimated reach of nearly $400.66 billion in sales, according to Maximize Market Research.
H&M’s decision follows efforts by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an appeal from the Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix, demonstrations outside of H&M stores and other efforts.
Announcing the news, PETA cited other outreach like shareholder resolutions more than 150,000 letters of support. In 2021, PETA collaborated with H&M for the Co-exist Story, a vegan collection of womenswear, menswear and childrenswear that is approved by PETA. For that range, instead of using goose down for puffer pieces, H&M used wildflowers. And faux leather pants were made from grape skins. In addition to these animal-substitute fabrics, there are more sustainably sourced materials, such as natural rubber, recycled nylon and recycled polyester. The Co-Exist Story also debuted vegan makeup that was certified by the Vegan Society, a first for H&M.