16.11.22 – Traceability

First recycled down traceable for animal welfare

Allied Feather+Down is poised to take a leap forward for animal welfare, sustainability, and circularity with their new Renu:Trace recycled and traceable down insulation program.

Allied-China-Duck.jpg

Founded in Vernon, California in 1987, Allied has been responsibly sourcing and sustainably processing down. © Allied

 

“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.”

In order to help bring this new product to market, Allied is looking for partner brands around the globe who are currently using down sourced through the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) program to participate – with a goal of Fall 2024 retail availability.

The Responsible Down Standard 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.

Any brand 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. Participating brands would also have priority for sourcing Renu:Trace material for their sustainable product lines.