CALIFORNIA – The North Face has officially launched its new Responsible Down Standard and, in a progressive move, gifted the ownership of the RDS to Textile Exchange – giving TE full rights to distribute and update the RDS as it sees fit. As reported late last year (link) in Ecotextile News, The Standard enables brands to audit their full down supply chain and ensure the down they use does not come from animals that have been subject to unnecessary harm, such as force-feeding or live-plucking. Ironically, RDS’ launch coincides with the development of The North Face's new insulation technology ThermoBall which mimics goose down but - it is claimed - provides more versatility than down, which loses its insulating capability when wet.
