The North Face has announced the completion, after nearly two years in development, of its Responsible Down Standard (RDS), a tool that will provide a global standard through which any organization should be able to evaluate and certify the brand's full down supply chain. The announcement was made at a ceremony at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City on Jan. 22. The RDS was developed in partnership with Control Union Certifications, an accredited third-party certification body, and Textile Exchange (TE), a global nonprofit dedicated to sustainability in the textile industry. The RDS addresses live-plucking and force-feeding of geese, in addition to other animal welfare requirements. The chain of custody of the certified down is backed up by TE's Content Claim Standard. The outdoor company said it hopes the collective use of the standard will help promote positive animal welfare conditions and traceability in its down supply chain at a much larger scale than it could accomplish by itself. Down for the outdoor industry is primarily sourced in Eastern Europe and China. The RDS is open for use by any company.

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