Down apparel companies are receiving a universal standard on ethical treatment of birds.
Textile Exchange and NSF International will merge two down standards into one global standard that incorporates principles from the Responsible Down Standard and Global Traceable Down Standard. The new regulation will further foster the responsible treatment of birds in down supply chains.
Over 80 apparel brands have certified their down supply chains with one of the two standards. Both enforce the Farm Animal Welfare Council’s Five Freedoms of birds, including freedom from discomfort, pain, injury or disease, hunger and thirst and distress as well as freedom to express normal behavior.
In the merging process, both non-profit organizations will foster transparency and establish an international working group with members from animal welfare groups, apparel brands, suppliers and other interested parties. Representatives of this group were also involved in creating both existing standards.
Starting this month, interested industry affiliates are invited to join the group and further support the ethical treatment of birds in down supply chains.
Founded in 2002, Textile Exchange is a global non-profit that works with textile supply chains to minimize the negative environmental impacts on natural resources contributed by the $1.7 trillion textile industry. Focusing on three core areas, including fiber and materials, integrity and standards, and supply chains, Textile Exchange provides universal resources for companies to achieve more sustainable production processes.
NSF International is a non-profit organization that develops standards for consumer goods industries to protect the environment. Since its establishment in 1944, NSF International has worked to protect human health on a global level and currently operates in more than 165 countries.