Otto International Vietnam is the proud recipient of the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certification.

The RDS certifies down against animal welfare requirements and tracks it from the source to the final product. So, this certification means that OI Vietnam’s products use down from humanely treated birds.

OI Vietnam’s four-month-long journey to get the certification began when a customer’s policy changed. They now will only buy RDS-certified products. OI Vietnam then decided it would ensure its entire supply chain met the right standard.

In order to be eligible for the RDS, every stage of the process OI Vietnam and its suppliers are involved in is monitored and audited: from the purchasing and importation of the down, to its storage and documentation.

On top of that, workers at OI Vietnam’s supplier were trained by the International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory in how to properly handle the responsible down they receive and how to spot suspicious handling. The factory was then audited by Control Union to check that the down was being handled properly.

For Upul Seneviratne, the merchandising manager that led the certification process, all of the hard work was well worth it. “It is important that the procedure is as comprehensive at it is, because then the brands we work with and end consumers can be guaranteed that the down has been sourced responsibly.”

“The certification is a big achievement for us,” says Upul, “and from now on we will source all products with RDS down regardless of whether the costumer requests it or not.”