Lofty ambitions: can puffer jackets be made more sustainable?

From the publisher

Whether you call it a parka, puffer or Tassie tuxedo, the insulated jacket has become a cold-weather closet staple. A 1920s version by Australian mountaineer George Finch was constructed from hot air balloon fabric and eiderdown, but most modern designs are a mix of petroleum-based synthetics as well as animal and plant fibres, with varying environmental and ethical impacts. Producing these materials, through agricultural or chemical processes, contributes 83% to the jacket’s overall carbon and water footprint, according to one life cycle study. The next largest contributor was water and energy usage during wear – with the average down jacket lasting seven years – followed by sewing and disposal. Natural…

The source's own excerpt, unedited