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Sustainability Spotlight: PrimaLoft Sustainable Synthetic Insulation

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We’re all about synthetic insulation here at Terradrift (read about why we avoid down here), which means we’re always on the lookout for more sustainable, packable, innovative options when it comes to the stuff that keeps us toasty in our puffy jackets and sleeping bags. And when it comes to innovation in the sustainable synthetic insulation game, PrimaLoft is at the forefront. We recently asked Senior Global Communications Manager Ken Fisk about the brand and what makes their newest products so dang sustainable.

What is PrimaLoft? What do you specialize in and what’s your mission? What’s your deal?

PrimaLoft is an advanced material technology company that specializes in the development of high-performance insulations and fabrics. The company provides solutions to market and consumer needs in the outdoor, fashion & lifestyle and home & bedding segments. PrimaLoft’s Relentlessly Responsible mission represents a commitment to developing innovative technologies that elevate both performance and sustainability, without sacrificing either. 

Relentlessly Responsible. Love that. And you’ve made a lot of insulation innovations over the years! Tell us about some of the recent ones.

Two key technologies launched in 2020 are PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ (Produced Using Reduced Emissions) and PrimaLoft® Bio™

PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ is a new platform of manufacturing technologies that drastically reduces the carbon emissions emitted to produce our PrimaLoft® insulation. We have developed a technique that disrupts the traditional manufacturing methods that have been used for decades to produce synthetic insulation. The use of PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ reduces the carbon emissions of our production process by as much as 48%.  P.U.R.E. manufacturing results in a yearly reduction of carbon dioxide of more than 348,000 lbs / 157,900 KG, which equals more than 438,600 miles / 705,800 kilometers in CO2 savings – enough to drive around the earth nearly 18 times! These calculations are based on single-year production of 40-100gsm of insulation.

PrimaLoft® Bio™ is the first biodegradable*, 100% recycled synthetic insulation and fabric. Standard polyester takes many lifetimes to degrade. PrimaLoft® Bio™ is a textile breakthrough that begins as 100% post-consumer recycled materials and, when exposed to specific environments like landfills or ocean water, returns to natural elements. PrimaLoft® Bio™ maintains PrimaLoft’s industry-leading product performance standards, including the durability to endure and withstand the rigors of repeated, multi-year use – increasing its usable life cycle. It also combats microplastic shedding throughout the life of a garment. With this new material technology, PrimaLoft is redefining what sustainability means in the apparel industry.

Read our post about microplastics here.

PrimaLoft logo

That’s amazing! Biodegradable insulation?! How? And more importantly, why?

PrimaLoft has enhanced the fibers used to produce its synthetic insulation, without affecting their performance characteristics, to enable them to biodegrade at a highly accelerated rate. These fibers break down, when exposed to the right environment – like a landfill or the ocean. PrimaLoft has altered the fibers to be more attractive to the naturally-occurring microbes found in these environments. The microbes eat away at the fibers at an accelerated rate, returning the insulation to nature! The biodegradation process leaves behind water, methane, carbon dioxide, biomass and humus – a common component of potting soil. PrimaLoft® Bio™ insulation will only biodegrade when exposed to the microbes in specific environments so, the insulation remains highly durable throughout its usable life cycle in a garment. This technology will not change the performance, look or feel of the garment.

Through third-party testing, PrimaLoft® Bio™ fibers have been proven renewable in a circular economy, via chemical recycling. The chemical recycling process breaks down polyester to its basic components so that it can be rejuvenated into a new high-performance material, without compromising its original integrity. Essentially, this means our biodegradable fibers can be used to make high-performance materials, over and over again.

Wow. Science. Am I right? So when it comes to synthetic insulation, is it important for outdoorists to consider the environmental impact of their clothing and gear? And why?

Outdoor enthusiasts rely on their apparel and gear to engage with their passion for the outdoors, so they are a user group primed to tackle this issue. It’s critical for them to understand the environmental impact that occurs with the manufacturing of their favorite outdoor gear, as the reduction of plastic waste and carbon emissions are essential in the fight against climate change. Reducing our impact on the environment, on a global scale, has never been more crucial.

PrimaLoft will continue to incorporate new technologies like PrimaLoft® Bio™ and PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ throughout our product line, in the coming years. As the use of these technologies spreads, it has the potential to drastically reduce the amount of textile waste remaining in landfills/oceans, as well as the carbon emissions produced to manufacture products. 

Primaloft Bio is a sustainable, biodegradable synthetic insulation

So where can consumers like us find sustainable PrimaLoft products? What gear and clothing currently utilize it?

PrimaLoft works with more than 900 brands across the globe. Our insulations and fabrics are used by brands in a variety of markets, including outdoor sports, athleisure, fashion and lifestyle, even home and bedding. The vast majority of the products we sell feature an eco-friendly component, whether that’s recycled content, biodegradable materials, circularity or manufacturing techniques that reduce carbon emissions.

For the Fall ’20 season, PrimaLoft® Bio™ can be found in apparel from brands like 4F, ESKA, Goldwin, Herno, Horsefeathers, Icebug, Jack Wolfskin, Klättermusen, Maloja, Namuk, Norrøna, Reusch, Roeckl, Ternua, Traumina and Viking. Other brands like Helly Hansen, Houdini, Montane and Rossignol will follow with their own styles, in upcoming seasons.

PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ is currently featured exclusively in the Patagonia Nano Puff product line and will be made more widely available beginning in Fall/Winter ’21.

Awesome! I guess that means when it’s time to update our clothing and gear with synthetic insulation, we can all feel a lot better about the size of our footprint when choosing PrimaLoft!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you get yourself a dope new sustainable jacket, you also help support Terradrift.