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ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY
WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC. COMMITMENT & POLICY
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (“WSI”) is committed to the ethical and responsible treatment of animals.
This Animal Welfare Policy applies to all non-food products sold as merchandise by all WSI brands
using animal-derived products. WSI’s procurement policy aims to ensure that the welfare of
animals is respected within the supply chains from which animal products are sourced.
WSI will continue to actively promote the further development and use of innovative non-
animal alternatives that meet the needs of our business and customers.
WSI will realize this commitment through responsible sourcing practices and the adoption of
internationally accepted animal welfare standards, where applicable. WSI expects its vendors and
suppliers to provide the best possible conditions for animals throughout the supply chain. WSI
recognizes the Five Freedoms as a basis for its animal welfare policy. This policy will be updated
as new information is available and new tools are developed.
WSI POLICY REQUIREMENTS
• Animal-derived products from threatened or endangered species, defined as those which
appear as on CITES (www.cites.org) or IUCN Red List (www.iucnredlist.org
) are not
permitted.
• Animal-derived products from the food industry are permitted, in accordance with the
requirements of this policy. Products containing fur are not permitted.
• WSI expects its suppliers of animal-derived products to implement a monitoring process
to allow traceability throughout the whole supply chain. Suppliers may be required to
provide chain-of-custody documentation and volume details for animal-derived
materials. WSI may require its suppliers to become certified to relevant animal welfare
standards to ensure compliance.
• Our suppliers must be committed to providing the best conditions for animals at all stages
of the supply chain, and to combating cruel practices. Evidence of compliance may be
requested annually and suppliers must agree to announced and unannounced visits from
internal and third-party auditors.
• Suppliers should clearly label synthetic or imitation materials that look like animal
products, such as faux leather or faux fur, to avoid confusion and aid customer selection.
BANNED SPECIES
ANGORA/MOHAIR & ALPACA: WSI’s policy is to not permit the use of angora in products. Angora
rabbits are primarily raised for their hair and the conditions in which they are bred and kept pose
serious animal welfare concerns. Similarly, there are concerns about the treatment and welfare
of angora goats raised for angora wool (mohair). At this time, alpaca is also not permitted to be
used in WSI products due to animal welfare concerns.
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FUR: WSI’s policy is to not permit the use of fur in products. WSI is opposed to the farming and
trapping of fur-bearing animals because these practices pose serious animal welfare concerns.
Prohibited animal fur types include, but are not limited to: mink, fox, rabbit, and karakul. Williams-
Sonoma, Inc. is a member of the Fur Free Retailer program (www.furfreeretailer.com
),
administered by the Fur Free Alliance.
EXOTIC SKINS AND FEATHERS: WSI’s policy is to not permit the use of exotic skins and feathers in
products. Skins from snakes, crocodiles, alligators, lizards, and ostriches, as well as feathers from
ostriches and peacocks, pose animal welfare and conservation concerns.
HORN, BONE & SHELL: WSI’s policy is to not permit the use of horn, bone, and shell from
threatened or endangered species in products. Horn, bone, and shell from non-endangered
species is permitted if derived as a food industry by-product. Suppliers must provide the scientific
name of animals from which the products were derived to WSI prior to production.
PERMITTED ANIMAL-DERIVED PRODUCTS
LEATHER: WSI permits the use of leather derived as a food industry by-product. It is WSI’s policy
to not use by-products from animals reared solely for their skins. Suppliers must provide
information about tannery or trader where leather was sourced to WSI prior to production.
Leather from vulnerable regions is required to be verified deforestation/conversion-free. Hides
derived as a food industry by-product are permitted for use, such as: sheepskin, shearling, and
cowhide with hair attached.
FEATHER AND DOWN: WSI permits the use of feathers and down from geese and ducks if sourced
as a food industry by-product. WSI’s policy is to not use feathers and down obtained from live
plucking and force-feeding of birds. WSI supports the Responsible Down Standard
(http://responsibledown.org/
) and other credible certification standards to ensure that live-
plucking and force-feeding is not practiced in the supply chain.
WOOL: WSI permits the use of wool from sheep raised primarily for their wool, milk and meat.
WSI’s policy is to not use wool obtained from farms that practice mulesing (surgical procedure
performed on Merino wool sheep) or inhumane shearing practices. WSI supports the Responsible
Wool Standard (http://responsiblewool.org/
) and other credible certification standards to ensure
that animals are shorn humanely and that mulesing is not practiced in the supply chain.
CASHMERE: WSI permits the use of cashmere from suppliers who can provide evidence that
combing or shearing is carried out by trained handlers to ensure that the goats do not undergo
any pain or distress and good animal husbandry conditions exist. Evidence of compliance such as
permits and training records should be available upon request and suppliers may be audited
periodically, with or without notice.
NON-ENDANGERED SPECIES HORN, BONE & SHELL: Horn, bone, and shell from non-endangered
and non-threatened species are permitted if derived as a food industry by-product.
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VENDOR REQUIREMENTS
WSI requires its existing and future vendors to act in accordance with this policy. WSI expects its
vendors to learn the scientific name of animals whose derivatives are used in WSI products and
conduct due diligence measures to ensure that animals are not endangered or threatened
according to CITES and the IUCN Red List. Vendors are expected to comply with policy
requirements and to provide evidence of compliance upon request. WSI may require
independent, third-party verification that the documentation and material claims by our vendors
and suppliers meet the above requirements.
