Mountain Equipment is proud to present its Down CODEX© initiative, the culmination of 10 years of hard work, and commitment to putting in place standards and rules for down traceability in all Mountain Equipment products.
#traceability #animalWelfare #down #circularity
Meet Anke Schneider from Mountain Equipment personally at ISPO Munich 2023
What: GRV Guided Transparency Tour
When: Monday, June 5th, 2023 – 11am
Where: SUSTAINABILITY HUB/ Munich Order Center- Atrium 3- 124
“As a specialist sleeping bag and down clothing manufacturer we have over the years committed a great deal of time and effort to obtain the very best raw materials for our product requirements. We are now directing our focus to also include the environmental, ethical and animal welfare concerns relating to our products and raw materials selection.We are currently working with our suppliers to be as specific as possible with our description of where our down comes from so customers can make an informed choice about whether to purchase a Mountain Equipment bag or not.”
Mountain Equipment Down Sourcing, Happy Geese Project, 2009.
Put into action in 2009, the initiative was born out of a hope to reduce and manage risk in the down supply chain, as well as put in place best practices. Down CODEX© brings to light Mountain Equipment’s commitment to constantly developing knowledge and care relative to down sources and animal welfare, year after year through the use of comprehensive and transparent external auditing.
Mountain Equipment’s Down CODEX© is not a in itself a certification but rather the commitment to continual growth and improvement as a company.
In addition to these four key rules, Down CODEX© also aims to uphold the Five Freedoms as defined by the RSPCA (the UK’s largest animal charity) and the Farm
Animal Welfare Committee that all animals should have:
Mountain Equipment sources 100% of its down from sources connected to the food and meat industry, recovering down as a by-product.
In addition to virgin down Mountain Equipment is now sourcing 100% post-consumer down sources, though it is currently impossible to trace the origins of the recycled down.
Mountain Equipment has chosen to work with a small number of transparent supply chains in Europe and China. Supply chains generally come from “Collection Based” sources – small scale farms regrouped and sold to one main producer. Or, “Industrial-Based” food and meat industry suppliers offering down as a by-product. While Collection Based sources can, at times, offer advantages when discussing animal welfare Slaughterhouse-based supply chains offer more transparency and consistency as the regrouping of farm providers in the collection-based sourcing is harder to follow and audit.
There is no easy answer, but through seeking to find the least impactful process and sources, Mountain Equipment is showing a strong leadership and commitment to best practices in a challenging field.
The variety of down sources and down processes can be found on Mountain Equipment’s website, all the while knowing that they were sourced in the most humane and sustainable process currently known.
Share your experience and meet pioneers.
You can connect with these exhibitors personally:
Sun, June 4th, 11 am: Exped, Icebug, Iteratif, Rab & Lowe Aplin, Re:Down, Südwolle Group, Sympatex
Mon, June 5th, 11 am: Globetrotter Ausrüstung, Grüner Knopf (GIZ), Hohenstein, lavalan®, Mountain Equipment, Picture Organic Clothing
Tue, June 6th, 11 am: myclimate, SUSTON, VAUDE
You can also meet Mountain Equipment at their booth at: A3/412