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The Responsible Down Standard aims to improve the welfare of ducks and geese used for down

The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is a voluntary standard that incentivizes the down and feather industry to treat ducks and geese more humanely and rewards organizations leading the way. The standard also gives companies and consumers a way to know more about the origin of materials in the products they buy.

We’re moving to a more unified standards system

In 2021, we began a sweeping revision of our standards framework to develop a harmonized system that incorporates our current suite of standards, and outcomes focused on our climate and nature strategy. We are currently finalizing the pilot version 1.0 of the unified standard, to be released in the first half of 2024. Sites that are currently certified, or pursuing certification, to our current standards should keep an eye on updates as the timeline progresses. For more information on the timeline, transition, and relevant information regarding down, please visit the Standards Transition page.

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GOALS

Setting criteria for progressive practices that are better for ducks and geese

  • Help to mitigate risks of down and
    feathers coming from animals that have been subjected to unnecessary harm.

  • Incentivize the down and feather industry to treat ducks and geese more humanely.

  • Provide a strong chain of custody for certified materials as they move along the supply chain.

  • Strengthen companies’ claims that the products they sell contain certified material.
geese.
HOW IT WORKS

Incentivizing best practices and managing chain of custody

  • Animal welfare

    Respect for the welfare of birds and geese, from hatching to slaughter, is a core part of The Five Freedoms of animal welfare and is incorporated in the standard criteria.
  • Live-plucking and force-feeding prohibition

    Any removal of down or feathers from live birds (live-plucking or molt-harvesting) is prohibited in the standard. Force-feeding is also prohibited.
  • Credible certification

    A professional, third-party certification body audits each stage in the supply chain starting at the farm.
  • Chain of custody

    Certification helps to maintain the identity of down or feathers from certified farms through to final products. Learn more.
  • Confident communication

    Products that meet the minimum requirements for certification may be labeled with the Responsible Down Standard logo.
  • Stakeholder engagement

    The standard is managed with the input of farmers, animal welfare experts, land conservation experts, suppliers, brands, and retailers from all parts of the globe.
Resources

Dive deeper into the RDS

See all resources
DEVELOPMENT

Previous revisions and changes

In 2017, we began revisions for RDS 3.0, and the updated standard was released on July 1, 2019. For a summary of the comments received during the Public Stakeholder Review period, you can take a look at the RDS 3.0 Consultation Feedback Summary. The next revision will be part of our wider move towards a single unified standard.

GET INVOLVED

Take the next steps in your certification journey

Brand and retailers

Start sourcing certified materials or get certified yourself.

Suppliers

Use our standards to offer products that contain certified materials.

Find a certified company

Consult our directory to find suppliers or confirm whether a company is certified.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question not answered here, get in touch with us directly, and we’ll be happy to answer it for you.

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Are Textile Exchange standards recognized globally?

Yes, all our standards apply globally. You can use our logos worldwide as long as you meet the requirements for logo use and claims.

Do you have translations of your standards available in other languages?

Visit the Document Library to see all standards documents. For some, translations are available.

Can I use your standards to know the identity of a farm for down?

Our standards aren’t designed to provide full supply chain transparency. If you’re interested in doing the work of identifying all of sites, then you need to work directly with your suppliers and request that they disclose their sources to you. We are working on the development of a traceability system, however. You can learn more here.