Finnish startup develops innovative method for recycling down products in Helsinki

A recent video depicts yellowish grease flowing from a metal cylinder, collected from human skin, presented by Finnish startup entrepreneurs Heikki Kärkkäinen and Teemu Lemetti. Their company, Untuvia, based in Helsinki, has developed a method to purify used down from products like pillows, which accumulate grease from the human body, causing the filling to compress.

Utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), a method known from industrial applications, the process is described by Untuvia’s COO, Teemu Lemetti, as “completely non-toxic and water-free.” The material is subjected to high pressure and moderate temperatures, allowing carbon dioxide to extract grease effectively.

Kärkkäinen and Lemetti discovered that only about one percent of down is recycled globally, with prices ranging from 40 to over 200 euros per kilogram. A large blanket made from eiderdown can even cost up to 10,000 euros, highlighting down as a valuable raw material. Kärkkäinen estimates the global down market to be worth around 7.5 billion euros, influenced significantly by the economic situation in China, where the demand for duck meat links to the availability of down.

Inspired by this opportunity, Kärkkäinen and Lemetti founded Untuvia with initial funding from venture capitalist Antler, and approached Joutsen Finland, a nearly 90-year-old company in Riihimäki that processes down. Online interest points to a potential market for recycled down, driven by consumer values shifting towards sustainability.

Currently, Untuvia is seeking funding for a pilot facility to validate their process, anticipating a need for recycled down products as the European Union considers extending product responsibility to textiles, which would significantly impact down products.