Allied Feather + Down aims to advance animal welfare, sustainability and circularity with the launch of its Renu:Trace recycled and traceable down insulation program.
To help bring this new product to market and with a goal of Fall 2024 retail availability, Allied is looking for partner brands around the world that are currently using down sourced through the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) program to participate.
“With demand at an all-time high, recycled down is becoming an increasingly important material for many of our outdoor, fashion and bedding partners,” said Daniel Uretsky, president of Allied Feather + Down. “Current recycled down offerings have one major flaw–they don’t necessarily comply with RDS protocol, meaning it’s impossible to know how ethically the birds in the supply chain are treated. Renu:Trace will fix that.”
The RDS works by auditing every farm in the down supply chain for the ethical treatment of their geese and ducks. From there, a lot number follows each batch of down to the factory, final product and the customer. Any down jackets currently using RDS down are candidates for the Renu:Trace program.
Brands participating in the Renu:Trace program would benefit from the ability to market their jackets, sleeping bags and bedding as traceable, recycled and recyclable, with hangtags and instructions for shipping used product back to Allied, the company noted. Participating brands would also have priority for sourcing Renu:Trace material for their sustainable product lines.
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Allied Feather + Down will be exhibiting at the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Ore., Oct. 26-27 and at ISPO in Munich Nov. 28-30.
Through the creation of programs such as the RDS and Track My Down, Allied is committed to safeguarding the welfare of animals while protecting the environment. Based in Montebello, Calif., Allied is a family-owned company with facilities worldwide.
In March, Allied introduced Zero Degrees North (غN), a creative innovation lab that showcases boundary-pushing artists, designers and products. غN will be a curatorial outlet for what the company feels are among the most interesting products, designs and artists that imbue its concept of “#coldculture” and use down and feather in ways that continually push boundaries.
“Zero Degrees North looks at this material in a markedly new way through the lens of the future to explore what is new, interesting and relevant,” said Matthew Betcher, creative and marketing director for Allied.