You care about where your coffee comes from and if that chocolate is fair trade, but have you thought about the down in your favorite comforter or pillow? We're proud to be certified by RDS.
What is RDS?
“Responsible Down Standard is a global certification for best practices in animal welfare throughout a brand’s entire retail supply chain,” according to Ashley Gill from Textile Exchange. A brand can choose to go through the process of becoming RDS certified. Looking for an RDS seal on your down products is a great way for consumers to ensure that the products come from an ethical and humane source.
How does a company get certified?
The first step is for the brand to make sure that it understands every level of their supply chain.
Downlite’s humane sourcing begins with the selection of down and feathers that are harvested as a by-product of the poultry industry. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure the humane treatment of the waterfowl, including the elimination of live plucking.
Each step from farm to manufacturer is certified by a third-party inspector known as the Certification Body.
How is this ensured?
One of the things that the third-party checks is that RDS certified down is properly labeled and tracked through the process so that the product doesn’t get mixed in with non-certified down.
There are both scheduled and unannounced visits made by the Certification Body to make sure that all levels of production are operating at standard at all times.
We insist that all of our partners throughout the supply chain share our commitment to responsible and sustainable harvesting practices – without exception. Through Down-Trac™, we hold signed affidavits for all suppliers confirming this to be true.
Sleep better at night knowing that your down comforter & down pillows are ethically sourced.
Here is the latest certification for our RDS + GRS + OCS standards from IDFL:
