Allied Feather & Down, the outdoor industry’s primary supplier and processor of down, has completed the audit and certification process of the Textile Exchange Responsible Down Standard (RDS) for a significant percentage of its global down supply chain. The North Face, one of the original creators of the RDS has committed to purchasing the majority of this down and will be integrated it into products beginning in Fall 2015. This commitment signifies a major step toward bringing responsibly sourced down to market.

The RDS was developed by The North Face in partnership with Control Union Certifications, an accredited third-party certification body, and Textile Exchange, a global nonprofit dedicated to sustainability in the textile industry. 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 as a way to certify that there is no live plucking, force feeding or any other mistreatment of animals, from gosling to finished product. In addition, the RDS has strict traceability requirements to validate the source of certified down and feathers.

“We are proud to be the first to offer down from global RDS certified supply chains. We are thrilled to have partners like The North Face and other leaders in the industry adopting this comprehensive standard,” said Daniel Uretsky, COO of Allied Feather & Down.

The North Face is currently working with Allied and Control Union to apply the RDS across every level of its down supply chain. Starting in 2015, The North Face will source 30 percent of its overall down from a fully audited and RDS-certified supply chain and incorporate it into its Fall 2015 product line. The North Face aims to source and integrate RDS down for 100% of down products by 2017.

“We are excited to announce the forthcoming reality of more responsible down in our products through the partnership of Allied, among others,” said Adam Mott, Director of Sustainability, The North Face. “The RDS is currently the broadest and most comprehensive approach to animal welfare available in the down supply chain. Through its collective use, the industry will see improved animal welfare conditions and better traceability in the down supply chain at a much larger scale than The North Face could accomplish alone,” he said.

Today at 9:00 a.m. at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Allied (#155-306) will be presented with official RDS certifications for its China and Europe supply chains by Control Union.

Also, in keeping with Allied’s commitment to education and the RDS, Allied will be offering a breakfast seminar at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Representatives from Allied, Textile Exchange and The North Face will educate vendors and retailers on how working with Allied and the RDS brings added value to their brands and products.  The seminar will be held at Outdoor Retailer on Friday, August 8 at 7:30 a.m. in the Salt Palace, room 151G.  Vendors and retailers interested in hosting additional seminars should contact communications manager, Lauren Fallert, lfallert@verdepr.com.

Media Contact:

Lauren Fallert
Verde Brand Communications
lfallert@verdepr.com
970.259.3555

Logo courtesy Allied Feather & Down