ALLIED Feather + Down has integrated carbon footprint data into TrackMyDown, its public-facing traceability platform for down and feather products. The platform already enables users to trace the origin and processing history of down used in individual products. With the latest expansion, environmental impact information can now be assigned to specific lots processed at ALLIED facilities.

The carbon footprint is calculated using facility-level consumption data and allocated on a per-kilogram basis. According to ALLIED, this makes it possible to associate the resulting footprint with individual down lots and provide the information through TrackMyDown.

“Transparency only works when the information being shared is credible, meaningful, and easy to access,” said Daniel Uretsky, CEO of ALLIED Feather + Down. “Our goal is to give brands confidence in the sustainability claims they communicate while giving consumers a clearer understanding of the materials inside the products they purchase. By adding validated carbon footprint data to TrackMyDown, we're taking another step toward making environmental information more transparent and actionable.”

Audit calculates 0.48 kg CO₂e per kilogram of processed down

The new reporting capability builds on a carbon footprint audit conducted in partnership with Green Threads :. The calculations are based on data collected at ALLIED's processing center in Hangzhou, China, including energy and water consumption, wastewater and detergent use.

According to the audit, down processing at the facility generates 0.48 kg CO₂e per kilogram of processed material.

ALLIED compares this figure with an estimated footprint of 8.48 kg CO₂e per kilogram for polyester-based synthetic insulation, based on polyester fiber production data from Ecoinvent version 3.12 and the IPCC 2021 100-year global warming potential. This results in a difference of approximately 95%.

However, the two figures do not represent fully equivalent life-cycle assessments. ALLIED notes that the comparison is based on the production stages included in the respective datasets. The polyester figure does not include upstream impacts associated with petroleum extraction and refining, transportation, downstream manufacturing or end-of-life. The ALLIED figure, meanwhile, represents cradle-to-gate processing data for down. The comparison should therefore be understood within the boundaries of the respective datasets rather than as a complete comparison of the environmental footprints of down and polyester insulation.

ALLIED also reports that its processing footprint is approximately 85% below an estimated industry average of 3.2 kg CO₂e per kilogram for conventional down and 57.9% below a published figure of 1.14 kg CO₂e per kilogram for recycled down.

For recycled down, ALLIED refers to figures from the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) database. The company notes that these figures do not account for impacts associated with the collection of post-consumer goods or industrial delivery and recycling centers.

Carbon data linked directly to individual lots

Rather than providing only a general corporate or facility-level carbon footprint, the TrackMyDown approach connects the calculated environmental data with individual lots. Users can enter a lot number on the platform and access information about the material, including its environmental impact.

This extends TrackMyDown beyond its original focus on origin and processing traceability. The platform was developed to provide visibility into where down comes from and how it has been processed. The addition of carbon footprint information links this supply-chain traceability with environmental impact data.

The calculations follow ISO 14067:2018 for the carbon footprint of products, PAS 2050:2011 for assessing the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services, and Product Category Rules for apparel, except fur and leather apparel (PCR 2024:03).

Preparing material data for Digital Product Passports

The development also reflects the increasing demand for verifiable environmental data at material and product level. Brands are facing growing requirements to substantiate environmental claims and provide more detailed information about materials and supply chains.

This is also becoming relevant in the context of the European Union's developing Digital Product Passport framework. As product information becomes increasingly structured and digitally accessible, material-level data on origin, processing and environmental impact could become an important component of product records.

ALLIED sees the integration of carbon footprint information into TrackMyDown as a way of providing brands with data that can support both environmental communications and future product information requirements.

The company has been involved in down traceability for more than a decade and was a co-creator of the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). With the latest expansion of TrackMyDown, ALLIED is moving its traceability approach from information on origin and processing toward the integration of quantified environmental impact data at lot level.