Allied Feather & Down, a primary supplier and processor of down, announced its commitment to the Textile Exchange’s new Responsible Down Standard (RDS) developed by The North Face. The RDS will allow outdoor industry brands to audit and ensure the ethical treatment of all animals in its down supply chain and validate all claims through an established chain of custody process, say the companies. Allied is the first adopter and will be the primary supplier of RDS Certified Down.
The RDS was developed by The North Face in partnership with Control Union Certification, an third-party certification body, and Textile Exchange, a global nonprofit dedicated to sustainability in the textile industry. The North Face gifted the standard to Textile Exchange in an effort to affect change in the down supply chain through widespread adoption. Allied supported the development of the RDS by leading The North Face and Control Union Certifications through their global supply chain, evaluating conditions and identifying where auditing should take place.
Allied has also partnered with Control Union as their third party verification auditor for the Responsible Down Standard to certify that there is no live plucking or force feeding of geese, from gosling to finished product. It is Allied’s hope that manufacturing companies across the industry will see the importance of purchasing down from a secure, ethical supply chain. Allied’s vendor partners have the opportunity to incorporate RDS Certified Down in their product lines for Fall 2015.
“The Responsible Down Standard is one of many ways that we show our commitment to ethical business practices,” said Daniel Uretsky, COO of Allied Feather & Down. “We are constantly working to improve upon our supply chains to ensure we are on the forefront of environmental and ethical practices in the sourcing of down.”
