Before the onset of a global COVID-19 pandemic, ALLIED Feather & Down and ALLIED Home were focused, as they had been for 30 years, on creating a more sustainable supply chain and a cleaner home.
As ALLIED shifted its bedding production in its Commerce, Calif., manufacturing facility to produce facemasks in early March, the family owned company began to realize just how big this need was going to be on a global scale.
While the response focused at first on healthcare workers and disenfranchised populations such as those experiencing homelessness, the pandemic response has highlighted just how many people are vulnerable — including critical frontline service providers necessary for everyday life.
By now it is widely reported that American healthcare workers are facing a shortage of facemasks and other PPE as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are not the only ones at risk. “When we started producing masks in our Commerce facility, we never imagined the extent and volume of the need. When we starting talking to our hospitality and institutional partners, it became clear that we could install the same mask manufacturing program in all our global facilities to help serve the needs of all these front line service workers that put their health at risk to help make our lives easier,” said Steve Uretsky, founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Allied Feather + Down.
In April the global supplier of down and home bedding began the conversions of its bedding manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe, and at a new facility opening in Montreal. ALLIED has now gone from shipping between 10,000 to 15,000 masks a day, to providing millions of reusable cotton masks to service industry providers. By the end of May, ALLIED will be shipping more than 3,000,000 masks to prominent hotels and resorts, with the ability to add capacity as needed.
According to Vox.com, new research shows that universal mask-wearing helps slow the spread of Covid-19. “New York City, with a population of about 8.4 million, has had over 28,000 coronavirus deaths as of May 18. Meanwhile, Hong Kong has officially recorded only four Covid-19 deaths, despite having 7.5 million residents. One reason that could help explain the stark disparity: In Hong Kong, nearly everyone wears a face mask in public.” According to data from the University of San Francisco, universal mask-wearing could be one of the most important tools in tackling the spread of COVID-19. Researchers cite a medical study currently under peer review which shows that more people wearing “less effective” reusable, non-medical masks is just as effective as medical grade masks.
However, this widespread use of disposable masks comes with a heavy impact on the environment. Unfortunately, disposable masks are not sustainable by definition at this scale, and the environmental nightmare this has the potential to become has not fallen on deaf ears. Already in Hong Kong, discarded masks are washing up on beaches and posing a threat to marine life.
“While we understand the critical need to use face masks, we fear disposable masks are already becoming the new cigarette butt. We found that what we did with our bedding factory in Montebello could be used as a model for our global facilities in Asia, Europe and Canada to offer our hospitality industry associates masks that help keep their employees safe while doing so in a way that is also beneficial for the planet and cost effective over the long term,” continued Uretsky. “By repurposing existing fabrics and creating a product that remains effective through washing, we can help minimize the use of disposable masks that are already starting to become a blight on the landscape.“
For more information about ALLIED wholesale face mask availability, contact info@alliedhospitalitybedding.com.
About Allied Feather + Down
Founded in Vernon, Calif. in 1987, ALLIED has been responsibly sourcing and sustainably processing down while simultaneously driving innovation within the insulation market for over 30 years. The family owned and operated business has earned the reputation as the largest, most reliable and most responsible supplier of raw material in the industry. Through the creation of programs such as the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and Track My Down, ALLIED is committed to safeguarding the welfare of animals while protecting the environment. ALLIED remains a family owned company with facilities worldwide and is proud to produce the highest quality down demanded by the most discerning brands in the outdoor, hospitality and fashion marketplaces. Visit www.alliedfeather.com/.
About ALLIED Hospitality
ALLIED Hospitality is the sister finished bedding division to Allied HOME, a family-owned global manufacturer of luxury bedding products designed and manufactured to deliver superior quality and comfort to hospitality and commercial customers. ALLIED Hospitality manufacturers down and synthetic-filled bed pillows, comforters, blankets, mattress pads, and protectors for leading hotels, resorts, cruise lines, timeshare and vacation rental companies, and other institutional users. Based in Los Angeles, CA, with a strategic manufacturing and distribution footprint across the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, ALLIED Hospitality prides itself on its unwavering commitment to luxury,craftsmanship, comfort, and sustainability delivered through long-lasting and trust-based partnerships. ALLIED Hospitality and ALLIED HOME are divisions of ALLIED Feather + Down, the industry leader in expertly supplying responsibly sourced down to the apparel industry for more than 30 years. Visit www.alliedhospitalitybedding.com
