Many of our favorite products - from jackets to bedding to wipes - are made from materials that can shed microfibers. No matter how high quality the product, this can occur during washing, normal wear-and-tear and eventual end of life. These products and microfibers often end up polluting environments like our waterways, oceans and landfills. 

Another problem regards manufacturing. For decades, insulation manufacturing methods have relied on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.

Both these issues can be tackled through PrimaLoft fibers.

Based in Latham, N.Y., PrimaLoft was established in 1983 by Albany International Corporation in response to a U.S. Army request to develop a synthetic insulation for soldiers that replicated the warmth and weight characteristics of traditional goose down fabric, but also remained warm when wet.

In addition to maintaining high performance in wet conditions, the portfolio of PrimaLoft synthetic insulations is designed to power products that can both mimic natural down aesthetics and provide the freedom to design garments ranging from stylish puffers to lightweight performance apparel. PrimaLoft prides itself on delivering insulations that can enable better sustainability characteristics through the use of recycled, low-carbon inputs. PrimaLoft products aren’t just made from recycled materials, they’re also made to be recyclable. Materials can be repurposed and remade, again and again, into the same high-performance fibers that keep the user warm and comfortable.

One of PrimaLoft’s jacket insulation alternatives is its patented ThermoPlume product, which the company says features comparable performance to down insulation when dry, superior performance to down insulation when wet, can be made with 100 percent recycled raw materials and can be integrated into the traditional down manufacturing process.

PrimaLoft is committed to being Relentlessly Responsible™. Therefore they have enabled two technologies that can help them achieve their goals:

1. PrimaLoft® Bio™ helps to reduce the long-term impact of microplastics in our oceans, landfills and waterways. PrimaLoft® Bio™ fibers break down at a highly-accelerated rate in landfills, oceans and wastewater because they have been optimized to be more appetizing to the naturally-occurring microbes in these specific environments. These microbes enable synthetic insulation and fabric to return to materials found in nature, leaving behind components like water, CO2, methane, biomass and humus – a common, natural component of potting soil.

2. With PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ technology, PrimaLoft has transformed the manufacturing of synthetic insulation to drastically reduce the carbon emissions produced during the process. Fossil fuels like coal and natural gas have been identified as the biggest culprit of carbon emissions in the traditional methods used throughout the industry. With PrimaLoft's P.U.R.E. manufacturing technology, they have significantly improved the energy efficiency of this process, resulting in carbon savings of up to 70%.

PrimaLoft’s reach extends across more than 950 global brand partners including Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, Athleta, Patagonia, Polo/Ralph Lauren, Prada, J.Crew, L.L. Bean, Arc’teryx, Stone Island and Boll & Branch. The company also offers a licensing program, providing its technologies and branding to an expanded set of non-woven and other textile markets.

PrimaLoft has diverted more than 430 million plastic bottles from landfills since 2015, pioneered biodegradable and carbon-negative fiber polymers, and reduced emissions by up to 70 percent for its proprietary line of insulations made with P.U.R.E. manufacturing technology. The material innovator said 91 percent of company sales are from products with at least 50 percent recycled content.

Photo taken by Antwon I on Unsplash