The Campaign To Make Badminton Vegan

Sarah Wild, a vegan badminton player, started the "Duck Off Project" campaign to remove feathers from the sport of badminton due to ethical concerns about exploiting animals for feathers. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has recently approved the use of synthetic shuttlecocks, but feather shuttlecocks are still widely used at professional levels due to their flight characteristics making them preferable over synthetics.

Feathers used in badminton shuttlecocks are sourced from geese and ducks, often through exploitative practices such as live plucking or after slaughter. With the growth of the feather and down industry, the "Duck Off Project" aims to transition the sport to cruelty-free options, advocating for synthetic shuttlecocks to be introduced immediately and for feather versions to be phased out by the 2026 Olympics to protect the birds from exploitation.