Down-filled bedding doesn’t belong in a landfill, especially when there are many better options for reuse, recycling, or even transformation into new products.

From DIY reuse to brand mail-in programs and a growing marketplace for recycled down goods. Here’s how to extend the life of your bedding—and help build a more circular future in the process.

Why Recycle Down-Filled Bedding?

Down is a natural material, but it’s often encased in synthetic shells and treated with chemicals. When tossed into landfills, treated down items don’t break down easily and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Recycling or refurbishing down bedding reduces waste, minimizes the need for new feather harvesting, and supports a growing ecosystem of sustainable products. Your used bedding can live on as a part of someone else’s cozy night—or even their next mountaineering adventure.

Start With Reuse: Keep It In Your Home Or Someone Else’s

Before mailing in an old down comforter, see if you can use your old comforter again—at home, in the community, or through a renovation service.

• Re-cover it instead of tossing: Companies like All About Down and The Down Store offer services to clean, de-clump, and re-tick your down bedding. These services preserve the high quality of older, better-made down products.
• Make something useful: As shared by users on Backpacking Light, many people repurpose old comforters into ultralight DIY sleeping quilts, jackets, or camp pillows.
• Donate selectively: Animal shelters often accept bedding, and some local shelters or refugee organizations may take clean, usable comforters. Use the Animal Shelters Count database to find local options, and be sure to call ahead to see if the shelter will take what you have.

Get It Ready to Recycle

Recycling is the next best step if your down bedding is worn out or unusable. Prepare it correctly to increase the likelihood of recycling success:

• Clean: Wash and thoroughly dry your comforter or pillow. Recyclers may reject unclean items or could contaminate the recycling process.
• Contain the down: If leaks or tears are in a comforter or jacket, patch them up so feathers don’t escape in transit.
• Remove extras: Snip off plastic tags, zippers, or synthetic fillers that could interfere with recycling.

Mail-In Down Recycling Programs

Ready to pass your down on to its next life? These programs make it easy.

Renu Bedding

Renu reclaims it for reuse in bedding and other soft goods, accepting washed and dry bedding by mail. Clear prep instructions are available on the company’s site, and they emphasize reducing environmental impact through every step.

Rab Down Recycling

Outdoor brand Rab accepts sleeping bags and down jackets through its mail-in program. The reclaimed down is sanitized and reused in new gear, often sold through their Cinder and Mythic product lines.

All About Down

This repair and renovation service can rebuild your comforter or pillow with cleaned and restored down. They even return extra down if you want to reuse it at home.

The Down Store

This long-running shop offers both cleaning and renovation services. You can mail in your down comforter, and they’ll remove dust mites, restore the loft, and even replace ticking fabric for long-lasting reuse.

Where Does Recycled Down Go?

Recycled down is making its way into some impressive new products. Choosing items made from reclaimed materials keeps waste out of landfills and supports responsible manufacturing. Here are just a few places recycled down is landing:

Patagonia

Patagonia, a pioneer of down recycled, incorporates reclaimed feathers into jackets, parkas, and sleeping bags. The company sourcing process focuses on quality and traceability, ensuring that the outdoor performance of a recycled down jacket is reliable.

Puredown

A brand that specializes in down bedding made from recycled material, Puredown products—comforters, pillows, and mattress toppers—carry the Global Recycling Standard certification and are made with a focus on transparency.

Byourbed

The company’s RE-DUCE collection includes premium down comforters made entirely from reclaimed down. With soft cotton covers and generous fill weights, they offer a plush experience without virgin material costs.

Wrap It Up Right

Your old bedding has kept you warm for years—why not let it keep going?

By reusing, repairing, or recycling your down comforter, you help reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and support companies that prioritize sustainability. Whether your next move is a DIY quilt, mail-in recycling, or a switch to products made from reclaimed materials, know that you are making an impact.

Don’t send warmth to the landfill. Give it another life!