Leather Working Group (LWG): what does this leather certification mean?

You may have already seen the Leather Working Group or LWG mention on the product page for a pair of shoes, a bag, or a leather accessory. But what does it really mean? LWG assesses the practices of leather manufacturing companies through audits. Here is how this system works and, above all, what it does—and does not—allow you to conclude about a product.

What is the Leather Working Group (LWG)?

The Leather Working Group is an international organization founded in 2005 that brings together various players in the leather supply chain. It develops standards and audit programs, notably to assess the performance of sites involved in leather manufacturing.

In everyday language, people often talk about "LWG certification." However, it is more accurate to distinguish the assessment of a tannery or audited site from the certification of a finished product.

What does an LWG audit check?

LWG protocols take into account several aspects of leather production. Depending on the program and the type of site assessed, the criteria may include:

• water consumption and management;
• energy consumption;
• chemical management;
• effluents and waste;
• material traceability;
• certain management systems and operational practices.

Standards evolve over time. LWG information must therefore be viewed in the context of the site, protocol, and audit period concerned.

What do the LWG Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels mean?

The audit system can assign different performance levels to facilities that meet the requirements set out in the protocol. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze designations are used to distinguish the levels achieved as part of this assessment.

These levels refer to the performance of the audited site according to the applicable LWG standard. They should not be interpreted as an overall rating for the entire brand or as proof that an item has no environmental impact.

Is LWG leather necessarily eco-friendly or ethical?

No. An LWG mention provides information about certain aspects of the leather manufacturing chain, but it is not sufficient on its own to qualify a product as "eco-friendly" or "ethical" in a broad sense.

The impact of a leather product also depends on many other factors: the origin of the material, its lifespan, the product design, transport, the manufacturing conditions of the other components, and its end-of-life.

It is also important to distinguish the environmental and traceability criteria assessed by LWG programs from broader issues related to social conditions or animal welfare.

Does LWG certify the finished product?

This is a common misunderstanding. The LWG system primarily focuses on the players and facilities in the leather manufacturing chain. Therefore, when a brand states that it uses leather from an LWG-audited tannery, this does not necessarily mean that the finished product itself has received an independent certification covering all its components.

To assess an item, it is useful to look closely at the wording used by the brand: the origin of the leather, the tannery, the audit level when indicated, and any other available traceability information.

Why do brands use leather from LWG-audited tanneries?

For a brand, working with suppliers assessed against a common framework can help better structure the monitoring of its supply chain and provide comparable information about certain production practices.

For the consumer, the mention is therefore an additional indicator, to be combined with other criteria rather than a final judgment on the product.

How to recognize LWG information on a product page?

You may come across wording such as "leather from a tannery audited by the Leather Working Group" or references to an audit level. The important thing is to check exactly what the mention describes and to avoid automatically equating the supplier assessment with that of the entire product.

LWG and vegetable tanning: what is the difference?

The two concepts do not mean the same thing. Vegetable tanning describes a tanning process using tanning agents of plant origin, while the Leather Working Group is an assessment system for the leather manufacturing chain based on various criteria.

To learn more about this topic, see our guide: what is vegetable-tanned leather?

You can also discover our selection of shoes and the composition information provided on every NEIWA product page.

Frequently asked questions about the Leather Working Group

What does LWG stand for?

LWG stands for Leather Working Group, an organization that develops standards and audit programs for the leather supply chain, among other things.

What does "LWG-certified leather" mean?

The term is frequently used, but it is best to check the exact claim associated with the product. In many cases, it means that the leather comes from a tannery or site that achieved a result as part of an LWG audit.

Does the Leather Working Group guarantee impact-free leather?

No. LWG assesses certain aspects of manufacturing and the supply chain. No leather is impact-free, and the assessment does not necessarily cover all the issues associated with the finished product.

What is the difference between LWG Gold, Silver, and Bronze?

These designations correspond to different performance levels achieved by a site as part of the relevant audit protocol. They do not constitute an overall environmental rating for the finished product.