The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is an international, voluntary standard that addresses animal welfare in sheep farms and chain of custody of wool from certified farms to the final product. Individual sites are certified by independent third-party certification bodies using annual audits. Material is tracked from the farm to the final product using transaction certificates, following the requirements of Textile Exchange’s Content Claim Standard (CCS). For more information or to apply for certification, please visit: ResponsibleWool.org
The goals of the Responsible Wool Standard are to provide the industry with the best possible tool to:
• Recognize the best practices of farmers;
• Ensure that wool comes from farms with a progressive approach to managing their land, and from sheep that have been treated responsibly;
• Create an industry benchmark that will drive improvements in animal care and land management and social welfare where needed; and
• Provide a robust chain of custody system from farm to final product so that consumers are confident that the wool in the products they choose is truly RWS.
Click here to read or download the most current RWS information handbook (73 page pdf document, will open in a new tab).
We are proud to say that all Canadian mill-spun yarns carried by ACME Fibres are RWS certified.