Our Story

“Recycling turns trash into treasure, it turns fading forests back into vibrant forests. It is a beautiful form of modern alchemy that has the potential to change the world.”

A wake-up call to all humans and the whole textile industry is to find a balance between creating more products and consuming fewer natural resources. In light of so many discarded textiles, and scrapped down and feather-filled products in the world, we felt the need to educate both the industry and consumers about the endless possibilities of recycling down.

Being in the down industry, which is directly linked to nature for its resources, we were inspired by the natural ecosystem. It never wastes its resources, and every entity, at the end of its life cycle, reintegrates with the environment to create something new. This got us thinking about Downcle.

Starting in 2020, we delved our minds into the idea of mass consumption, its consequences on the environment and our natural resources. Rather than using brand-new resources, we explored innovative ways of utilizing existing ones without compromising quality. It was only after much thought and research that the concept was put into action in 2022. 

Introducing Downcle, the revolutionary brand that brings your favorite down-filled bedding options back to life. By combining our expertise in quality bedding with a deep love for the environment, we were able to find a way to procure used down, recycle, and reuse it. 

With a focus on hygiene, safety, and comfort, a process was developed that aims to ensure that recycled down products retain every bit of the benefits that virgin down products have. By recycling down into bedding, we can reduce the amount of down that is disposed off every year. A natural insulator and organic resource, down is incredibly precious. Down is biodegradable, so it blends back into nature, making it an excellent natural fertilizer. By using recycled products, you’re also doing your part to save our environment. Downcle is motivated by all of these factors. 

The need for high-quality down has risen in the past decades due to its thermal properties and the storytelling of ‘virgin’ down. However, by-products of poultry production can only be produced when geese and ducks are consumed.

As a treasured gift from nature, down and feathers, while appearing fragile, are very durable, resilient, have a long lifecycle, and can be used in pillows, cushions, upholstery, comforters, etc. Downcle makes a lasting impact by embracing sustainable production methods, thereby reducing our carbon footprint, and giving used down a new lease on life. 

We source most of our raw materials from old worn-out clothing and household items. We follow two ways to obtain them:

• Collecting Them Directly From Customers
  As part of our ‘Recycle Down Program,’ which started in 2018, we collect regularly from different neighborhoods across the globe, contributing to a cleaner environment.

• Purchasing Them From Companies That Specialize in Collecting These Materials
  The down products are sorted by species (duck down, goose down) and color (white down, gray down) before being sold. Their unrecycled waste is used to build crop greenhouses in China and white clothes are sent to Japan, while dyed clothes are sent to Europe. We invest long working hours and high labor costs into executing these steps to realize our dream of giving back to nature.

In contrast to virgin down, recycled down needs to go through four steps before it’s ready for production:

• Fine washing
• Drying
• Fine separating of down and feather, and
• Stacking

In addition to chemically and thermally disinfecting collected recycled down, it is also cleaned with special detergents, making it good as new. As a result, recycled down is technically cleaner than natural down. Recycled down also requires fewer steps to be re-introduced into the market, which results in a smaller carbon footprint.

Downcle is all about saving our planet and the impact we have on it. From its roots to its people, Downcle exists so we can protect our world and preserve the nature of premium down. Your role in keeping the planet beautiful starts with your waste! Let’s take part in positively shaping a beautiful future by making the world better, one recycling at a time.