Victory! H&M to Phase Out New Down
Amazing news! After persistent pressure from animal advocates around the world, including Species Unite, H&M has officially pledged to phase out the use of new down in their products by the end of 2025. This is a major victory for ducks, geese, and the future of fashion, as one of the world’s largest retailers makes a powerful statement about the importance of embracing change and working towards more ethical and sustainable practices.
This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the more than 5,000 compassionate individuals who signed our petition to demand change. This community spoke out, joining the global movement that helped push H&M to make this significant commitment and take a stand against the unethical sourcing of down.
The down industry is notorious for its cruelty, with 50-80% of the world's down taken from birds that are plucked while they are alive, awake, and without anesthesia. Misleading certifications like the “Responsible Down Standard (RDS)” have been exposed as humane-washing tactics, masking the cruelty behind deceptive labeling. Phasing out new down is the only truly responsible option, and we applaud H&M for making this ethical decision.
Thank you to the over 5,000 members of this community who spoke out against down for being a part of this incredible win for compassion and common sense. Together, we are making the world a better place for animals.
What You Fought Against
In the past few years H&M has been working hard to change their image from a damaging, fast-fashion brand to a company committed to sustainability, innovation, and animal welfare. However, for too long they were still missing the mark when it comes to compassion by continuing to support a horrifically cruel, animal-torturing industry.
H&M claimed to care about animal welfare and the environment while still selling products filled will duck and goose down derived from highly polluting factory farming as well as the suffering and deaths of billions of birds.
What is Down?
Down feathers are the soft and fluffy feathers in the undercoats of waterfowl like ducks and geese that keep them warm, especially in the water. As only a small percentage of a bird's feathers are down it takes feathers from over 75 birds to make just one comforter and millions of birds are robbed of their feathers every year to fill coats, bedding and furniture.
50-80% of the world's down is taken from birds who are plucked while they are alive, awake, and without anesthesia.
These birds are held down by their necks and wings as their feathers are brutally torn from their bodies. As they struggle to escape the horrific pain of being plucked alive they often suffer from suffocation, dislocations, and cuts which are sewn up with straight needles. After this torture, these innocent, sensitive birds, who are frequently left unable to walk due to leg fractures and infections, are tossed on the floor to fend for themselves.
As the bird’s feathers grow back after 6-7 weeks ducks and geese used for down are plucked multiple times during their tragic, miserable lives before they are slaughtered.
Some of the geese that are plucked alive simultaneously suffer from being force fed through metal tubes shoved down their throats to expand their livers for foie gras.
What are the Alternatives?
Some companies try to hide the horror behind misleading labels like “ethical down” and “Responsible Down Standard (RDS).”
These labels should mean that the birds who are used for their feathers are treated “humanely”, are not force-fed, or plucked alive, and that their feathers are ripped out after they are slaughtered. In reality these labels are essentially meaningless as they only require farm inspections once per year and the inspections are announced in advance, allowing room for horrific abuse to continue without consequences. PETA has conducted nine exposés of the down industry, including of farms linked to RDS certified brands, and in each investigation, they have found birds living in horrible unnatural conditions and suffering terrible cruelty, and violent deaths.
There is no ethical way to commodify the lives and bodies of other animals.
There is also no reason why anyone should continue to support this cruel and violent industry. There are now alternative products that work just as well and offer environmental benefits rather than harming animals. One option is BioPuff, a groundbreaking, warm, lightweight, water-resistant, fill material created from bulrushes using regenerative wetland agriculture. Other companies like FLWRDWN and Primaloft also offer cruelty-free, planet friendly alternatives.
Every year 3 billion ducks and 700 million geese are slaughtered globally for meat, feathers and foie gras.
Thankfully, H&M has now taken a major step for sustainability and compassion, by withdrawing their support for the environmentally damaging mass confinement and terror-inducing mass slaughter of ducks and geese.