The Coleman Company Stops Selling Down Products

Leading Outdoor Retailer Receives ‘Leadership in Retail’ Award From PETA for Its Kind Move

For Immediate Release:
December 16, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

The Coleman Company—the world’s leading outdoor-gear manufacturer—has agreed never again to sell products that contain down. The decision came after PETA informed Coleman officials that many birds used for down have their feathers painfully yanked out of their skin while they’re still alive or have tubes rammed down their throats for the production of foie gras. In recognition of this compassionate decision—which makes The Coleman Company the first outdoor retailer to drop down—PETA is presenting CEO and President Robert Marcovitch with a Proggy Award for Leadership in Retail. PETA’s Proggy Awards (“Proggy” is for “progress”) are presented to people, companies, and organizations that exemplify animal-friendly progress in culture and commerce.

“PETA applauds The Coleman Company for ensuring that no ducks or geese have their feathers violently ripped from their bodies for Coleman’s products,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Coleman proves that down-free sleeping bags and jackets can provide all the warmth with none of the cruelty.”

As PETA’s video exposé of down production reveals, many birds used for down repeatedly have their feathers yanked out of their tender skin while they’re still alive. Workers typically lift the birds by their necks or delicate wings, pin the animals between their knees, and rip the feathers out of their skin. The struggling birds are often plucked so hard that their skin is torn open, and the hurried workers sew up the wounds with a needle and thread—and without painkillers. Buying down can also support the cruelty of the foie gras industry, as producers of foie gras often boost their profits by selling the feathers of the ducks and geese who are force-fed by having tubes rammed down their throats until their livers become diseased and swell to up to 10 times their normal size.

Modern, high-tech synthetics, such as those available at The Coleman Company, are widely available and are typically less expensive than down. They also are warm, cozy, and allergen-free; don’t collect the dust and mold that down does; and, unlike down, still insulate when wet.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.