Downlite Outdoor Partners with Debrand Services in Circularity Practices

March 10, 2022

Mason, OH, March  10, 2022 /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Downlite Outdoor, a market leader in down and feather processing and supplier of responsibly sourced performance fills, has named Debrand as a partner in its relentless effort to increase its industry-leading sustainable initiatives and circularity practices.

Progress is made possible through alliances working collectively for positive change. Downlite Outdoor supplies premium down to top brands like Marmot, REI, Canada Goose, Lululemon, Ralph Lauren, Enlightened Equipment, Hammock Gear, Columbia Sportswear, Haglöfs, and Cascade Designs.  Every season brings a batch of products at the end of their useful life, raising the topic of circularity and the opportunity to upcycle components – like Down, zippers, and snaps.

Debrand aligns with world-class apparel brands to elevate sustainability by extracting as much value as possible from our planet’s finite resources. With Downlite Outdoor, Debrand works with product overages in client jackets, sleeping bags, pillows, and bedding that are out of circulation due to past seasons and/or unsalable goods to market. “Reverse Logistics” is moving a product backward through the supply chain, taking apart the product to its basic virgin materials and cycling it back to the manufacturer to rebuild the new product.

“We have been aware of Debrand’s evolving logistic systems for a couple years, and now we can announce our new relationship with the help of our apex brand partners to collectively support this movement in ‘circularity,’ back into the supply chain,” explains Lindsay Parrish, vice president of sales at Downlite Outdoor.

With more than a 100 years of down processing experience, Ohio-based Downlite is a trusted partner to many of the most recognizable premier apparel and sleeping bag brands in the outdoor industry. Downlite has pioneered breakthrough innovations in performance down technologies and has emerged as a leader in traceability and transparency through its global supply chain and now circularity and reverse logistics. “Optimized Reverse Logistics” means doing this more efficiently through the highest-value recovery channel. Debrand helps brands become more responsible with product waste.

“There are many reasons why an item or garment can find itself heading back from the consumer to the retailer. Effectively managing this process means leveraging industry knowledge, physical infrastructure, and data to ensure everything goes to its highest and best use,” says Wesley Baker, Co-founder at Debrand. “Yes, it’s circularity, sustainability, and brand security, but it’s also just smart resource planning.”

Debrand is built with a simple mission in mind: to help extract as much value as possible from the world’s finite resources.

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About Downlite Outdoor

Downlite has a rich history in feather and down sourcing, with origins dating back more than 100 years in Europe. Downlite is the largest U.S. supplier of bedding for the home and hospitality industries (Macy’s, Costco, Marriott International, W Hotels). Downlite is also one of the largest suppliers of bulk down and feather to apparel and sleeping bag makers in the outdoor industry. A leader in responsible sourcing, Downlite is proud to have been awarded the first RDS Scope Certificate. Additionally, Downlite was offered the first TDS-Certified supply chain in the world—both from Europe and the USA. Downlite has four U.S.-based manufacturing sites, one manufacturing site in Canada, and its sourcing teams are based in China, Europe, and the U.S. Downlite is bluesign certified and a proud member of the American Feather & Down Council. Downlite Outdoor

Some Downlite current customers include Patagonia, The North Face, Marmot, REI, Canada Goose, Lululemon, Ralph Lauren, Enlightened Equipment, Hammock Gear, Columbia Sportswear, Haglöfs, Cascade Designs, and Banana Republic.

Communications: Beth Cochran, cochran@whatsuppr.com, whatsuppr.com, 406.579.7909