Our Commitment
Responsible Sourcing & Traceability
We, Canadian Down & Feather Company, are committed to the ethical treatment of the animals, people and environment involved in our supply chain. We use reputable, internationally-recognized, 3rd party certifications and standards programs to ensure the same commitment to social responsibility throughout our supply chain. Ethical sourcing and traceability of materials go hand-in-hand – we commit to sourcing from responsible suppliers, and we have mechanisms in place to ensure our materials are traceable back through the supply chain to those responsible sources.
Who We Work With:
Textile Exchange is a global non-profit that develops and owns some of the most stringent and well-regarded textile standards, including RDS, RCS, and GRS. Their aim is to drive positive change in the textile industry, helping to facilitate responsible production practices that protect people and the planet. Visit the Textile Exchange website to read more about their mission and theory of change, data on the industry’s progress against ambitious targets, and learn about responsible materials.
IDFL is an independent, global organization and the world’s largest down and feather laboratory, providing quality assurance services for down- and feather-filled products. In addition to testing down, feather and finished products to ensure they meet Canadian and US standards, they own and develop the IDS standard. They are also an accredited certifying body for the RDS, RCS, IDS, and GRS Standards, which means they audit against these standards and ensure compliance with these certifications. Visit the IDFL website to read more about them, their services, and learn about down and feather quality testing.
How it Works:
- Canadian Down & Feather Company’s facilities, processes and documentation are audited annually by IDFL to ensure compliance with the certification standards.
- Each point in our down and feather supply chain, all the way back to the parent farm or original source, is audited to ensure compliance with the same standards.
- All of the down and feather we use is accompanied by a transaction certificate all the way through the supply chain to ensure that it originated from and was handled by certified sources at every point.
Responsible Down Standard (RDS)
The Responsible Down Standard certification verifies the humane rearing and handling of animals in the down and feather supply chain. Animals must be treated with respect and must not be subject to unnecessary harm, including live- plucking, molt-harvesting, over-crowding, force-feeding, lack of veterinary care, and neglect. Products may only be RDS Certified if they contain 100% RDS Certified material, traceable through the chain of custody.
Learn about the RDS and find the detailed standards here.
Canadian Down & Feather Company and all of its down and feather products are RDS Certified. All down and feather products bear the RDS Certification Logo.
Most recent IDFL Audit Number: 25-848066
License Number: TE-99972323 (formerly 005891)
Verify our certification here.
IDFL Down Standard (IDS)
IDFL’s Traceability Audit System involves rigorous audits and inspections of the entire supply chain, from parent farm to the end retailer, conducted to assess adherence to the requirements of the IDFL Down Standard. Obtainment of the IDS Certification verifies that down and feather products are ethically sourced and traceable through the supply chain to the parent farm.
For a product to be considered ethically sourced, animals must be treated humanely. Live-harvesting, live-plucking, molt-harvesting, force-feeding, over-crowding, neglect and abuse are strictly prohibited. People must be given a safe, clean place to work with well-maintained facilities, and must be paid fairly, given adequate time off and breaks, and must meet the minimum legal age of employment. Suppliers must be aware of their environmental impact and demonstrate a commitment to reducing their climatic footprint.
Canadian Down & Feather Company is IDS Certified and was the first company in Canada to achieve this certification.
Most recent IDFL Audit Number: 25-844261
Project Number: 005914
Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
The Global Recycled Standard verifies that materials that are claimed to be recycled meet the definition of recycled material and are traceable through the chain of custody. It ensures that products and materials are processed in a sustainable manner, including hazardous chemical restrictions during processing. It also ensures that all points in the supply chain adhere to social standards that protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of workers and environmental standards to ensure proper environmental impact assessment and reduction efforts.
The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is similar to the GRS, verifying the validity of recycled material claims and material traceability. However, it does not include the more robust social and environmental standards of the GRS.
Learn about the GRS and find the detailed standards here.
Canadian Down & Feather Company is GRS and RCS Certified. We look forward to introducing certified recycled products in the future.
Most recent IDFL Audit Number: 25-848066
License Number: TE-99972323 (formerly 005891)
Verify our certification here.
Environmental Responsibility
We, Canadian Down & Feather Company, care about sustainability & protecting the planet for future generations and are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our products and processes. We maintain an Environmental Management System that aims to capture our impacts in the areas of chemical use, waste, water use, wastewater, emissions to air, energy use, and materials used in products, packaging and operational supplies. We set annual impact reduction targets and maintain strong internal management programs, processes and training.
Carbon Offsets
Canadian Down & Feather Company has been offsetting the Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions generated by its Toronto facility since 2018 with the help of Carbonzero (CZC-158933-1503-2018). The Toronto facility houses manufacturing, shipping, warehousing, and all office functions. Carbonzero offers high quality, impactful, Canadian-based carbon offsets that adhere to strict and comprehensive standards. These offset projects are audited and verified by accredited 3rd parties and all carbon reduction outcomes are measurable.
The use of natural gas and electricity at CDFC’s corporate facility generates greenhouse gas emissions, which have been calculated and offset by investing in carbon reduction projects, like the Southern Quebec Afforestation Project and the Ontario Biodiversity Afforestation Project. Most recently, CDFC has purchased from the Niagara Escarpment Forest Carbon Project. The NEFCP maintains the diverse ecosystems along the Niagara escarpment through promoting forest cover, establishing tree growth, protecting rare species, and more.
Down Recovery Program
Canadian Down & Feather Company has launched a Down Recovery Program with the aim of diverting down from end-of-life products from the landfill. CDFC plans to clean and recycle the material for re-use.
We hope to expand the scope of this program to include other materials in the future.
Product Safety
Canadian Down & Feather Company is committed to product quality and safety and the health of its consumers.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Canadian Down & Feather Company is working with OEKO-TEX to ensure all CDFC products are free of harmful substances. OEKO-TEX is an association of textile testing and research institutes around the world. Learn more about their mission on the OEKO-TEX website. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certification verifies that all components of textile products, from fabric to thread to labels, are free of harmful chemicals. The certification process involves site audits for quality control and rigorous scientific testing of products and product components to detect the presence of legally banned harmful substances as well as substances known to be unsafe, even if they are not yet legally regulated. Products may only be Standard 100 Certified if all components of the article meet OEKO-TEX’s stringent requirements, which often exceed national and international standards.
Canadian Down & Feather Company and all of its products except cushion covers are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certified and bear the certification logo.
Most recent Test Report: VC025 256658.1
Certificate Number: VC025 232673 TESTEX
Verify our certification here.
Certification & Partner Selection
We have selected the certifications and standards that we believe are the gold standard for our industry, products, and use case. Some of the criteria that we use for selecting our certifications:
- Created, maintained, and audited for by independent bodies (which minimizes bias and conflict of interest)
- Standards, requirements and audit cycles made transparent and publicly available for our customers to read.
- Continuous improvement of standards based on the latest available research and data.
- Focused on harm reduction and advocacy for vulnerable stakeholders (rather than promoting the business interests and reputation of the industry).