Textile Exchange
Responsible
Down
Standard
2.0
Logo Use and Claims Guide
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Copyright: © 2014 Textile Exchange
RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
©2014 Textile Exchange
© 2014 Textile Exchange. All Rights Reserved. RDS, RESPONSIBLE DOWN STANDARD and the RDS Logo
are trademarks of Textile Exchange.
The Responsible Down Standard was originally released January 2014
Sites shall have until March 24, 2016 to comply with RDS 2.0.
For more details on the RDS 2.0 transition policy, visit http://responsibledown.org/.
Disclaimer
Although reasonable care was taken in the preparation of this document, Textile Exchange and any other
party involved in the creation of the document HEREBY STATE that the document is provided without
warranty, either expressed or implied, of accuracy or fitness for purpose, AND HEREBY DISCLAIM any
liability, direct or indirect, for damages or loss relating to the use of this document.
Copyright
This publication is protected by copyright. Information or material from this publication may be reproduced
in unaltered form for personal, non-commercial use. All other rights are reserved. Information or material
from this publication may be used for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review permitted
under the Copyright Act 1976.
Any reproduction permitted in accordance with the Copyright Act 1976 must acknowledge the Responsible
Down Standard as the source of any selected passage, extract, diagram or other information.
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What is an RDS claim? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A. RDS Claim Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A1 RDS Logos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A2 RDS claim approval process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A3 Questions about RDS Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
B. Requirements for RDS claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
B1 Requirements for product-specific RDS claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
B2 Requirements for general marketing of RDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
B3 Requirements for B2B RDS claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
C. RDS Logo Use and Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
C1 Logo use specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
C2 Logo use with product-specific claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
C3 Language for product-specific claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
C4 Logo use in general marketing claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
C5 Language for general marketing claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
D. Parent Farm Certification Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
D1 Language for product-specific RDS Parent Farm Certification claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
D2 Language for general marketing RDS Parent Farm Certification claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
E. Misuse of RDS claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Introduction
The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is intended to ensure that independent third-party assessment of all
aspects of animal rearing and handling, as well as chain of custody through the entire supply chain, will help
to improve the welfare of animals and, at the same time, provide retailers and consumers alike with greater
confidence in responsible sourcing.
The purpose of the RDS Labeling and Claims Guide is to provide guidance for companies making claims
about their use of RDS certified down. The intended users of the Guide are organizations providing auditing
and certification services for the RDS (“Certification Bodies”), and farms and companies selling RDS
Certified products (“Certified Organizations”).
This RDS Labeling and Claims Guide shall accompany the Responsible Down Standard 2.0, and is a required
element of the standard. The certification requirements connected to the use of the standard are drawn
from the Content Claim Standard (CCS) requirements to ensure full chain of custody for the input material.
Updates to the RDS Labeling and Claims Guide and other relevant documents can be found online. Check
the RDS website for more information: http://ResponsibleDown.org/.
What is an RDS claim?
An RDS claim is any statement that makes reference to the RDS. RDS claims may include any combination
of logo use, text claims, and/or links to additional information that mention the RDS.
RDS claims fall under one or more of the following categories:
Product specific claim: This type of claim indicates or implies that a specific product meets the
requirements of the RDS. These claims may be made on or off the products. Examples of product-specific
claims include hangtags with the RDS Logo or reference to the RDS in the description of a product or group
of products in a catalogue, website or point of sale marketing.
General marketing claim: This type of claim indicates or implies that a company meets the requirements
of the RDS, or that it purchases RDS certified products. Examples of general marketing claims include
reference to the RDS on the CSR page of a website or in a general statement (that does not refer to a
product) in a catalog or point-of-sale marketing.
Business-to-business (B2B) claim: This type of claim uses the RDS name or RDS logo to identify semifinished batches or lots directly, or on invoices or shipping documents.
Consumer-facing claim: This type of claim is directed at consumers. Examples of consumer-facing claims
are hangtags, product descriptions in catalogs or websites, in-store displays, etc.
Any claim that makes reference to the RDS is considered a controlled claim and shall meet the requirements
of this document.
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RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
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A. RDS Claim Approval
A1
RDS Logo Distribution
A1.1
Certified Organizations may request RDS Logo files from their Certification Body.
A1.2
Non-Certified Organizations may request RDS Logos from the Certification Body of their RDS Certified
supplier.
A1.3
Textile Exchange does not distribute RDS Logos directly to companies.
A2
RDS Claim Approval Process
A2.1 Certified Organizations shall send all artwork containing product-specific RDS Claims to their Certification Body for approval prior to use.
A2.2 Non-certified Organizations shall send all artwork containing product-specific RDS Claims to the Certification Body of their supplier for approval prior to use.
A3
Questions about RDS Claims
A3.1
A Certified Organization with questions regarding RDS Claims should contact its Certification Body.
A3.2
A Non-Certified Organization with questions regarding product-specific RDS claims should contact the
Certification Body of its supplier. A Non-Certified Organization with questions regarding general RDS
marketing claims may contact either the Certification Body of its supplier or Textile Exchange.
A3.3
A Certified Organization with questions regarding general RDS marketing claims should contact its
Certification Body.
A3.4
A Certification Body may direct questions to Textile Exchange.
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B. Requirements for RDS claims
B1 Requirements for product-specific RDS claims
In order to be sold with consumer-facing RDS claims, products shall meet the following requirements:
B1.1
All down in the product shall be RDS Certified.
B1.2
The product shall be RDS Certified up to the last point in the supply chain before retail sale.
B1.2a The organization selling (or shipping) to the retailer shall be RDS Certified.
Example: Brand A sells RDS Certified duvets to Retailer B. Brand A shall be RDS Certified and the
products leaving Brand A shall be RDS Certified. Retailer B does not need to be certified.
B1.2b A transaction certificate shall be available for the order associated with the labeled product.
B1.3
RDS labeling (e.g. hangtags, sewn-in labels) shall be applied to products only by a Certified Organization.
B1.4
Any and all use of the RDS Logo shall follow the guidelines listed under RDS Logo Use (Section B).
B1.5
When the RDS is referenced on a product, the RDS Logo shall be used.
B1.6
RDS may be mentioned in connection with a product only if that product’s category is listed on the
Scope Certificate held by the Certified Organization.
B2 Requirements for general marketing of RDS
For any company making general marketing claims about the RDS, all uses of the RDS Logo shall follow
the guidelines listed under RDS Logo Use (Section C).
B2.1 Non-Certified Organizations:
Non-Certified making general marketing claims about the RDS may include retailers or companies that
have made the commitment to use RDS products. Any claims or statements about the RDS, in relation
to the organization or its products must be true, accurate and not misleading.
Example: If Retailer B carries both RDS and non-RDS products, it may not imply that it carries only RDS
Certified product.
B3 Requirements for B2B RDS claims
The RDS Logo is not required for products sold business to business.
B3.1 Certified Organizations shall follow the requirements below:
B3.1a If the RDS Logo is used, the guidelines listed under RDS Logo Use (Section C) shall apply.
B3.1b RDS may be mentioned in connection with a product only if that product’s category is listed on
the Scope Certificate held by the Certified Organization.
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RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
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C. RDS Logo Use and Language
C1 Logo Use Specifications
C1.1
In all cases, the RDS Logo shall be from the original design files provided by Textile Exchange or the
relevant Certification Body.
C1.2
Unless otherwise noted, the logo shall appear in (i) black or white, (ii) white, (iii) greyscale and white, or
(iv) PMS 2995, with white within the logo. See examples below:
Allowed
Allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Not Allowed
C1.3
The RDS Logo and all wording therein shall be of a size large enough to be clear and legible. The RDS
Logo shall not be less than 10 mm or 0.39 inches in diameter.
C1.4
When “RDS”, “Responsible Down Standard”, “Responsible Down” or any combination of these terms
appears, the RDS Logo shall be used adjacent to these terms.
C1.5
When in-store displays use product-specific RDS claims, the RDS Logo shall be included.
C1.6
For general marketing claims, it is encouraged to use the RDS Logo, but not required.
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RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
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C1.7
When the RDS Logo is used, it should be kept at a reasonable distance from other product or content
claims that do not refer to the RDS Certification. See examples below:
Allowed
RDS Certified
Not allowed
100% Ethical Production
C2
Logo Use with product-specific claims
When the RDS Logo is used on products, the following requirements shall be met:
C2.1 Certified Organizations may apply the RDS Logos only on goods where 100% of the down is RDS Certified. RDS Logos shall be obtained from the Certification Body that has certified the goods. Only Certified Organizations may apply RDS Logos (e.g. hang-tags, sewn-in labels) to products.
C2.2
If products are identified as RDS Certified on consumer-facing labeling, then the RDS Logo shall be
used, and language from Section B3 may also be added. The specifications set out in sections C1 shall
also be followed. This requirement does not apply to labeling that is not consumer-facing.
C2.3
Individual components of a product may be identified as certified to the RDS but only in a manner that
makes it completely clear that only the identified component contains RDS Certified down, and not
the whole product. For example, only the top layer of a sleeping bag may be made with RDS Certified
down, while the bottom layer may use synthetic fill. Product-specific RDS claims are prohibited if the
product contains any natural down that is not certified to the RDS.
C2.4
The brand or retailer is responsible to check on the labelling laws of the country(ies) of sale to ensure
they are meeting all legal requirements.
C3 Language for product-specific claims
C3.1
All RDS Logos shall follow the design specifications set out in section C1.
C3.2
RDS Logos may be accompanied by any of the following phrases:
•
•
•
•
•
•
C3.3
Certified to the RDS
Responsible Down Standard Certified
Contains RDS Certified Down
RDS Certified Down
ResponsibleDown.org
Additional language may also be used, such as: “The goal of the Responsible Down Standard is to
ensure that the waterfowl in the down supply chain are treated humanely”.
When the RDS Logo is used, there shall be a reference to the Certification Body that has certified the
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RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
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final stage of production (e.g. Certification Body’s name and/or logo) and a reference to the Certified
Organization (e.g. Certified Organization’s name and/or license number; companies may choose to use
the license number as a way to keep the supplier name anonymous). The Certification Body and Certified Organization shall appear at least once on the product labeling of each product. See examples of
allowed accompanying language below.
If a brand name of a Certified Organization is clearly associated with the RDS claim (eg: its name or logo
appears on the hang tag), then this will be considered a sufficient reference.
When product-specific claims are used off the product (e.g. catalogs, webpage product descriptions),
the same requirements apply.
Example #1
RDS Certified
Certified by (CBs Reference Number or name)
(Certified organization name or reference number)
Example #2
Front:
Back:
Brand X is certified
to the RDS by CB x.
RDS Certified
Example #3
Front:
Back:
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RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
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Brand X
Certified by CB Y
RDS Certified
C4
Logo use in general marketing claims
C4.1 A Certified Organizations may use the RDS Logos in marketing and public relations materials to indicate
its use of the RDS, as long as it has taken steps to ensure that all statements are true, accurate and not
misleading (e.g. has a Transaction Certificate for its products).
C4.2
A Non-Certified Organizations may make mention of the RDS in general marketing claims as long as it
has taken steps to ensure that all statements are true, accurate and not misleading. However, the use
shall not in any way imply that the Organization itself is certified.
Example: Brand X may say that it supports the RDS, and is committed to certify all of its products within
the next three years.
C5 Language for General Marketing Claims
C5.1 A Certified Organization may indicate that they it is “Certified to produce (and sell) RDS Certified goods”
in their marketing and public relations materials. Any statement made with reference to the RDS must
be true, accurate and not misleading.
C5.2
A Non-Certified Organizations may indicate that is uses the RDS. These claims may appear in online
publications, catalogs and any other location, as long as there is no implication that a specific product is
certified to the RDS. These claims may be stated in general terms, such as “50% of our down is certified
to the RDS”. A Non-Certified Organizations shall be willing and able to show proof that it has purchased
RDS Certified goods.
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D. Parent Farm Certification Claims
There is no separate RDS label or grade for Parent Farm Certification as defined in Module 6 of the RDS. However, Parent Farm Certified (“PFC”) is an available designation that enable the seller of RDS Certified product to
make accurate claims about parent farm level certification. Certification to the parent farm will be confirmed
in the Transaction Certificate. In all cases, RDS Logo use shall follow the guidelines set out in Section C1 of this
guide.
D1 Language for product-specific RDS Parent Farm Certification claims
D1.1
Product-specific RDS PFC claims may be used only on products that contain 100% parent-farm RDS Certified down. These products must have Transaction Certificates with PFC designation from the last point
of sale.
D1.2
Consumer-facing product-specific RDS PFC claims shall clearly explain the role of the RDS, and how the
PFC applies. See examples below:
Optional claims:
“Parent Farm Certified”
“RDS Parent Farm Certified”
“The RDS is the industry’s best way to ensure that down has not come through live plucking or from an animal that has been harmed or mistreated. We (or brand name) have chosen to extend the strict RDS requirements to also verify the treatment of parents of the geese/ducks (waterfowl) that supply the down.”
D2 Language for general marketing RDS Parent Farm Certification claims
D2.1
Off-product claims about PFC down shall refer to the specific part of the supply chain (e.g. “all of our
down from Poland is Parent Farm Certified”) or percentage that is Parent Farm Certified (e.g. “50% of
our down supply is certified to the parent farm level”).
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RDS 2.0 Logo Use and Claims Guide
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E. Misuse of RDS Claims
Textile Exchange intends to pursue all legal means to stop and remedy any unauthorized or misleading use of the
RDS name or RDS Logo. Textile Exchange intends to make public any misuse of the RDS name or RDS Logo in
order to maintain trust in the Responsible Down Standard.
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