H&M is under fire from the animal welfare organization PETA for not revealing the sources of its down feather, which is used to make its outerwear and puffer jackets.
The organization has submitted a shareholder resolution asking the company’s board to prepare a report on the slaughter methods of the company’s suppliers.
PETA’s request follows an investigation of a former H&M company supplier in Asia, which was found to be non-compliant with international animal welfare regulations. PETA found evidence of cruelty in the treatment of ducks during the plucking process.
“H&M states that no animals should be harmed for its clothes, so it should jump at PETA’s request that it hold a microscope up to its supply chain to ensure just that,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Every down item represents the pain and suffering of terrified birds, and deceptive labels and lip service only serve to absolve companies and dupe well-meaning consumers.”
The organization has also asked to remove Textile Exchange’s Responsible Down Standard (RDS) label from H&M clothing, calling the label ineffective as H&M does not share any information on the farms and slaughterhouses that supply down feathers for its products.
PETA’s case against H&M is the latest in a series of investigations it has conducted recently. The organization found that farms in Russia, Vietnam and Poland, three of the largest down feather exporters, were in gross violation of several national laws and responsible standards that H&M claims on its various products, according to FashionUnited.
