H&M moves to 100% ethically sourced down
Swedish retailer H&M has declared all down products will conform to the Responsible Down Standard, an industry-wide protocol that was developed by the North Face and is managed by the Textile Exchange, by autumn.
The RDS ensures the down does not come from animals that have been subject to any unnecessary harm, such as live-plucking or force-feeding. It also provides other strict requirements on several other animal welfare issues such as food, housing and outdoor access.
"We believe animals are entitled to a humane treatment and want to push for improved animal welfare in the industry as a whole. The Responsible Down Standard safeguards the welfare of birds and we are happy to be able to integrate RDS down across our products," said Madeleine Ericsson, sustainability expert at H&M.
A number of brands have pledged to only use RDS down, including Mammut and Big Agnes. Patagonia uses its own standard.
