Episode 46 - Winter Gear

Winter Coats

How Are Winter Coats Made?

Winter jackets tend to be either wool overcoats or what I’m going to call ski jackets – coats made from a waterproof synthetic fabric and stuffed with insulation. Sometimes these are called “parkas”, when they have a fur-lined hood. Personally, I have both a wool overcoat and a ski jacket, and I would only truly classify the ski jacket as a winter coat. My wool overcoat is not great when it’s -25.

Want to know how winter jackets are made? Check out this video. Ski jackets are made primarily using synthetic petroleum-based fabrics. There are two components: an insulated jacket and an outer windbreaker, which is waterproof. The inner insulated jacket is made with a nylon lining as well as either down or a synthetic insulation. The outer layer is usually made from a waterproof petroleum-based synthetic fabric.

Choosing an Ethical Winter Coat

As far as I know it’s impossible to find a ski jacket that is plastic-free. Right now, there is no good alternative to synthetic fabrics for waterproofing and stopping the wind. Wool jackets can be plastic-free. But they don’t serve exactly the same purpose, so it’s not really fair to do a side-by-side comparison. 

So, I think the best you can do is to follow the principles for ethical clothing more broadly: consume less, look for second-hand, avoid fast fashion, and research companies beforehand. Ethical Consumer doesn’t have a rating for winter coats specifically, but their waterproof and insulated coats ranking does include some of the big winter jacket producers. Check out Good On You’s guide to ethical winter coat brands.

And then, try to make your winter jacket last as long as possible. A good winter coat can last 20-30 years, so it’s important to learn how to take care of it. Good On You recommends cleaning your coat at the beginning and end of the season, using a professional wet cleaning service rather than dry cleaning. They also recommend sealing the coat in a garment bag at the end of the season, using cedar balls to repel moths.

Winter Jackets and Animal Down

Winter jackets need to be warm, which means that they need a good insulator. Although there are synthetics available, a lot of winter jackets are stuffed with animal down. Down refers to the plumage found underneath the exterior feathers of geese and duck, which is used to insulate jackets, duvets, pillows, and sleeping bags. As you might imagine, down production is not especially nice for the birds.

So, one major question when choosing a winter jacket is whether to go with a coat that is insulated with down or a synthetic insulator? In other words, is there such a thing as responsible down?

It’s important to start by noting that outdoor gear is a relatively small component of the down industry. Most of down (about 90%) is used for bedding.

Down for jackets, sleeping bags, and duvets is often extracted by plucking live animals. Sometimes a goose will be plucked multiple times throughout their life, which is obviously a painful and traumatic experience for them.

Beyond plucking, we have to consider the conditions in which these geese and ducks live. And that means confronting our old friend, animal agriculture. Down is a waste product. No one raises ducks and geese for their feathers; they are raised for meat production and the feathers are sold as a by-product. Like chickens, geese and ducks are often factory farmed – which means living in cramped, uncomfortable conditions and never living a normal ducky life. In addition, geese and duck that are cultivated for foie gras are often the victims of force-feeding.

There has been some movement on the issue of live-plucking in the last decade.  Patagonia got in trouble in 2011 PETA investigation found that its down was being sourced from a facility in Hungary that used live-plucking. That prompted outdoor gear companies to take action on animal welfare in down production.

Now there are three humane down standards that, at least, require that the animal was killed before its feathers were plucked. The three humane down standards were initiated by different outdoor brands.

o   The Traceable Down Standard was created by Patagonia.

o   Responsible Down Standard was created by the North Face.

o   Down Codex is the standard created by MEC.

Patagonia’s Traceable Down Standard is the most rigorous of the three. But even that standard only bans live-plucking and force-feeding. Otherwise, producers are only required to meet local regulations. The animal rights group Four Paws recommends against using down at all, but they say that all three down standards do a reasonably good job of ensuring that no live-plucking occurs.

China now produces 80% of the world’s down. A PETA investigation found that half of the 66 Chinese suppliers they contacted still sold live-plucked down. And beyond the issue of live plucking, we still have the problem that geese and ducks may live in inhumane conditions while they are cultivated for meat production. In my own view, then, there is no such thing as responsible down.

Ok, so if down is inhumane why do companies still use it? A lot of companies are moving away from the use of down. (Here’s a guide to the best down alternative coats). But there are two trade-offs that keep down in jackets: quality and sustainability.

Let’s start with quality. Down is still the most efficient insulator available. Down has a higher warmth-to-weight ratio than the best synthetics – although some synthetic fillings are now comparable to medium-quality down and are also generally cheaper. The quality of synthetics is improving, and in time they may overtake down from a quality perspective. For now, though, there is a quality trade-off. And the big question that people have to ask themselves is whether it’s really important to have a coat that is slightly warmer or lighter. For mountaineers or people spending a lot of time on the tundra, maybe that is a fair trade-off. But for most of us, the quality difference probably is not all that significant.

Another trade-off in choosing down versus synthetics is environmental: most synthetic alternatives are petroleum-based. Most synthetic insulation uses polyester strands. Each brand uses a different size and shape. The most widely used are Thinsulate, FullRange, PolarTec Alpha, and PrimaLoft. PrimaLoft is the most well-known of the synthetic insulators. It was developed in the 1980s for the US Army and is used by more than 500 brands worldwide.

And synthetics tend not to last as long, which is a bit of a dilemma for winter clothing producers. A life cycle assessment commissioned by the International Down and Feather Bureau (so note the possibility of bias) found that on a per ton basis down is more sustainable than polyester.

There are some synthetic insulators that use recycled materials. One example is PrimaLoft’s Eco series. So, that is a good option. But you still have to deal with the issue of microfibres, and recycled content still adds to the profitability of fossil fuels. So, it’s not perfect.

So, neither down nor synthetic insulators are great for the environment. The best thing you can do from an environmental perspective is to extend the use of whichever insulator you choose. That means taking care of your jacket, so it lasts as long as possible. And next time you need a winter coat, look for second-hand options. 

Snow Boots

So, winter boots and snow boots are actually not the same thing. While both boots are designed to keep your feet warm, snow boots are also waterproof with a rubber bottom. Snow boots are also typically taller – no one likes a wet ankle in January. A lot of the ethical guides out there focus on winter boots, rather than snow boots. For example, here is a list of recommended winter boots from Good On You.

The base of a snow boot is made with rubber. Unfortunately, I was not able to find much on how to find boots that have been made with ethically sourced rubber. The sustainability of natural rubber depends on where and how it is produced. Unfortunately, natural rubber production is a leading cause of deforestation in Southeast Asia. This is an issue that hopefully will have more traction in the future. But in the meantime, you can look for recycled rubber. Timberland is one company that uses recycled rubber (specifically Green Rubber).

The top of a snow boot is made from either leather or synthetic materials like nylon.

Winter and snow boots both use insulation, which can be foam, synthetic fleece, or sheepskin. My vegan winter boots from Kamik use a synthetic liner called Zylex, which uses 97% recycled materials and is made from polypropylene, polyester, and a thermal foil. They use something they call RubberHE for the bottom, which they claim is 100% recyclable. Although there is not a lot of information on sourcing, sustainability seems to be something they take seriously. They are working toward a zero-waste production facility, and they have a recycling program.

Winter Boots and Leather and Sheepskin

Is there such a thing as responsible leather? 

About half of the leather that is produced is used for footwear. As with down, leather and sheepskin are by-products from meat production. Most leather is produced from cow hide, but goats, pigs, and sheep are also common sources. Most cow leather comes from either meat or dairy cows. Some comes from calves used for veal. Leather accounts for about 10% of an animal’s total value – so while leather is a by-product, it does contribute to making animal farming more profitable.

Most leather is produced in countries with animal welfare laws that are even weaker than those in Canada, the US, and the EU. After an animal is skinned, leather production is made up of three steps: preparation, tanning, and crusting. Then, depending on how the leather is going to be used, a finishing process involves applying a surface coating of some kind. Here’s a video on how leather is made.

Environmentally speaking, leather is a problem because of its links to animal agriculture, which is a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and deforestation (as we’ve discussed in previous episodes on alternative milks and vegetarianism and alternative milks).

But also: the leather production process has a high environmental impact due to the heavy use of polluting chemicals in the tanning process. Tanning is treating the leather so that it doesn’t decompose. Tanning processes use polluting and in some cases toxic chemicals, which are then released into the air, ground, and water supply.

Working conditions on tanneries are also bad. Child labour is common and the working conditions are hazardous. So, if you are going to buy a product with leather, look for second-hand or Fairtrade certified leather.

The 2017 Pulse of the Fashion Industry report did a side-by-side comparison of leather and polyurethane synthetic leather. The result was clear: cow leather was the most environmentally harmful material included in their ranking, while synthetic leather ranked sixth. Synthetic leather was better for the environment on all four metrics: water scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, and resource depletion.

The one drawback with plastics-based synthetic leather is that it won’t biodegrade. But generally, animal leather is the worse environmental choice. And there are promising vegan leathers that are made from plants, and which use plastics only to hold the fibres together. Piñatex is one example. Vegan leathers do still have issues with toxic chemicals use. 

Okay, but what about sheepskin? Sheep farmers raise sheep for either wool or food. Sheepskin is used from farmers that raise sheep primarily for food. So, yes: the sheep die. Sheep are typically not kept in factory farms, so the animal welfare concerns are less dire. However, sheep do commonly have their tails docked and male sheep are castrated.