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Rab launches Down Collect and Recycle Scheme Gear News

© Rab

British outdoor brand Rab (owned by Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd.) has recently started its own down collect and recycle scheme. The scheme is part of Equip's long-term sustainability strategy, with Equip being certified as climate neutral company in 2020 and having committed themselves to reach Net Zero by 2030.

Rab Down
The service is offered at Rab's UK headquarters in Alfreton, Derbyshire, and launched in partnership with the recycling down experts at Minardi Piume. If the UK trial is successful, Rab intends to expand the service globally in a continued attempt to close the loop on valuable resources. In 2020, Rab's iconic Microlight down range was updated with 100% P.U.R.E. Recycled Down, alongside a wide range of products incorporating more recycled materials.

Consumers are offered to bring worn-out down products (such as down jackets and sleeping bags if no longer functional) to the recycling service at Rab's HQ. Particularly encouraged is down bedding such as duvets and pillows which have historically been difficult to recycle. The down will then be sent to Minardi Piume, the team behind P.U.R.E. Recycled Down. P.U.R.E. is the first recycled down to be certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).

Down collect bin at Rab's UK Headquarters

After being washed, treated and graded for quality the down can be used for new technical products. Other materials resulting from the collected items are processed and recycled offsite; the service does not incur additional costs for end consumers.

Down is naturally one of the best and most insulating materials in the world. By recycling it we can recapture a valuable material that would otherwise end up in landfill. The team at P.U.R.E. are experts in reclaiming down from post-consumer waste items and restoring it to high quality down, suitable for some of Rab's most technical products.

Rab's iconic Microlight range  © Rab
Rab's iconic Microlight range
© Rab

Debbie Read, Rab's CSR Manager, explains: "Down has always been part of Rab's identity, and we are proud to call ourselves 'The Masters of Insulation'. With launching our own down collect and recycle scheme, we are happy to take yet another step towards a more sustainable business and to be among the leaders in the outdoor industry."


For more information Rab



6 May, 2021

She's throwing away a perfectly good jacket!

6 May, 2021

Maybe I'm missing something here but it sounds like Rab is offering recycle our down gear, only to process it and sell it back to us. It reads like this is a service that they are offering but could also be regarded as them getting a nice supply of free down (albeit that needs to be processed / washed / graded etc). Is there no value in the down?

I hear what you're saying, but I don't really see the problem with that. Recycling is expensive. They'll need to break the down the product, separate out what is recoverable and what isn't, grade it, determine what down can be used for what products and then probably pay to dispose of what remains.

I'd be happy if they can recycle what I've used to prevent as much of it going into landfill as possible - particularly with something like down.

The alternative being binning it? You can sell it but eventually someone will determine to item to be done with.

If they can make their margins better by recycling down, that seems fair to me. Lots of other companys do the same. Seems like a win / win to some extent.

6 May, 2021

It’s Rab, the garment will fall apart at the seams into its constituent parts of its own accord!

6 May, 2021

It way my understanding that, like a puppy, a down jacket is for life. Keep and reuse is better than recycle any time. My old down jackets gets more use than the new as it’s kicked and I dont have to worry about ripping/damaging it.

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