PETA takes aim at Lululemon

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Dec 24, 2021

Lululemon is the latest retailer that animal rights NGO PETA is taking aim at. 

PETA said on Wednesday that it has submitted a shareholder resolution to the company’s board of directors calling for a report on the slaughter methods used to obtain the down used in its jackets. 

“Lululemon is selling jackets filled with the feathers of birds who are violently killed, betraying the yoga principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence, that it splashes on its shopping bags,” said PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s resolution would prove to Lululemon that it’s misleading its customers about the suffering and deaths of animals in its supply chain.”

Currently, Lululemon says that animals in its supply chain are “humanely” treated by relying on the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), but PETA investigations have connected RDS-certified suppliers with live plucking. 

PETA also pointed out that although Lululemon asserts that “[w]e require that animals in our supply chain are treated humanely and with respect,” PETA claims that all birds used for down end up at slaughterhouses, where they are typically hung upside down, and subjected to other inhumane treatments. 

PETA, which owns stock in Lululemon, said that if the methods are found to be incompatible with Lululemon’s animal welfare policy, PETA shareholders will need to know how the company will mitigate any risks.

According to WWD, a spokesperson for Lululemon confirmed that the company received PETA’s shareholder proposal, and added: “we are committed to upholding strong animal welfare practices by working with our vendors to have visibility into down sources and can confirm 100 percent of our down products are certified RDS, a standard that is considered industry best practice.”