Outdoors brand Rab launches down recycling scheme

Rab, a British outdoor clothing company, has started a “Down Collect and Recycle Scheme.” The service has been launched at Rab UK’s headquarters, with plans to extend it internationally.

Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd owns Rab, and the down recycling scheme is part of a larger sustainability strategy. Equip was certified as climate neutral organization last year, and the company is working on a Net Zero target by 2030.

In 2020, Rab’s Microlight down range was updated to include 100% P.U.R.E. Recycled Down, as well as a broader range of items incorporating more recycled materials.

Minardi Piume, the team behind P.U.R.E. Recycled Down, has partnered with Rab Down to deliver the Down Collect and Recycle Scheme. The Global Recycling Standard has accredited P.U.R.E. as the first recycled down (GRS).

Consumers can carry worn-out down items that are no longer functional, such as down jackets and sleeping bags, to the recycling facility at Rab HQ in Alfreton, Derbyshire. Down bedding, such as duvets and pillows, can also be recycled as well.

The down can be used for new technical goods after being washed, treated, and graded for quality. Other products originating from the collected goods are stored and recovered offsite, and Rab reports that there are no additional costs to end-consumers as a result of the service.

A Rab spokesperson said that down is naturally one of the strongest and most insulating fabrics in the world. It is possible to recapture a precious resource that would otherwise end up in a landfill by recycling it.

The company says that the P.U.R.E. team are specialists at reclaiming down from post-consumer scrap goods and returning it to high-quality down suitable for some of Rab’s most technical products.

Rab’s CSR Manager, Debbie Read, said Rab has always been known for its down, and they are proud to be known as “The Masters of Insulation.” They’re excited to take another step toward a more sustainable business and to be among the industry leaders in the outdoor industry by launching their own down collect and recycle program.