ECO FRIENDLY SLEEPING BAG RANGE LAUNCHED
A new range of eco friendly premium sleeping bags made with recycled down and fabric has been launched by outdoor specialist, Mountain Equipment.
The Earthrise bags contain materials entirely retrieved from unwanted clothing and bedding collected by waste recycling companies throughout Europe. The down and feather is removed from the products and then washed, sterilised, and sorted.
Most of this recycled down is used in new bedding products but a small percentage of the highest-quality material can be found in Earthrise products. The manufacture and use of outdoor clothing and equipment is a major contributor to carbon emissions, using up valuable natural resources and adds to environmental damage.
But unlike other technical outdoor gear, down-filled products can be recycled very successfully – with up to 95% of a down garment or sleeping bag able to be recycled in some way. Now the company has ambitious plans to create a recycling system that would ensure unwanted down clothing and sleeping bags which are at the end of their life don’t simply end up in landfill and contribute to the production of new, more sustainable products.
The Down Cycle scheme involves taking back used down products, recycling them, and reusing the down in new products. Trials have been completed in the UK using recycled down from unrepairable products still under warranty.
A Mountain Equipment spokesman said: “There is a significant number of used and
unwanted down jackets and sleeping bags languishing in people’s houses, many of which are beyond repair; we want these products back.”
Earthrise bags are based on the design of the best-selling Helium models, and despite their green credentials, lose nothing in performance and warmth.
The fabrics used are soft and comfortable and the sleeping bags are available in a range of models, with recommended minimum temperatures of -9oC to -2oC. Both men’s and women’s models are available in regular and long lengths, and they come in either left or right-zipped versions.