Downlite Launches Progressive New Composting Initiative

Company Shares Its ‘Sustainovation’ Preview at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Mason, Ohio – July 5, 2017

Downlite, a major down and feather processor and supplier of responsibly-sourced performance fills to the outdoor, home furnishings and hospitality markets, embarks on its latest sustainability program. The company recently engaged an outside organic recycling company to utilize the large waste feathers that traditionally end up in landfill, and instead, treat them for soil compost. Much of the by-product Downlite’s collaborative recycling company receives for compost is food waste that has a high moisture content. The dry feathers help make the compost more manageable when mixed with other matter. Additionally, feathers have an added pore space that degrade the organic matter of the compost more efficiently. Lastly, feathers are rich in keratin, a protein that slowly releases nitrogen when added to compost. The slow release of nitrogen allows for long-term plant growth stimulation. Downlite’s composting program is the most recent in a series of ongoing environmental and sustainable initiatives. Last fall, the company installed a waste water recycling system (WWRS) to treat and recycle water used to process down. To date, Downlite’s WWRS has successfully allowed the company to treat and recycle over 20 million gallons of water – exceeding company expectations. “Our sustainability efforts go well beyond our sourcing and production processes, they also serve as the foundation for new products that we create for our partners,” said Chad Altbaier, VP Downlite Outdoor. “To help manage the upward costing pressure down is now facing, we will be introducing exciting hybrid insulations involving natural and recycled materials, which offer the dual benefit of enhancing the performance of the material, while being grounded in our core value of environmental stewardship. We look forward to announcing more information about our performance hybrid fills soon.” At the forthcoming Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Downlite will present its new GRS certified re/charged down™, which the company introduced earlier this year. Not only is re/charged™ down 100% recycled, it is also 100% post-consumer, thus eliminating tons of material going into a landfill. re/charged down™ provides unprecedented performance levels for 100% recycled down due to its ability to ‘boost’ the down to a higher cluster and resulting fill power. Downlite is proud to have already commercialized this product with its outerwear brand partners for the FW18 season, and will be donating 1% of its sales to 1% for the Planet. Downlite will be exhibiting at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, July 26-29, 2017. For more information on all sustainability and new insulation offerings, please stop by booth # 155-316. About Downlite Downlite is America’s premiere manufacturer of down and feather, and synthetic bedding products. Its products – comforters, pillows, mattress pads, and feather and fiber beds – are sold under private label and national brand names in leading department stores, specialty stores, and catalogs, as well as to the Hospitality Industry. Downlite also supplies high-quality bulk fills to furniture, outerwear and sleeping bag manufacturers around the globe. Downlite is a bluesign® system partner, TDS and RDS certified, and a proud member of the American Down & Feather Council (ADFC).