The Leather Working Group, or LWG, has been around since 2005 and its primary goal ever since its creation has been to become the most important and holistic certification by a not-for-profit organization regarding sustainable practices within the leather industry. Created by stakeholders in all levels of the leather production chain, from brands and retailers to manufacturers and traders, the Leather Working Group has made its way into becoming the world’s most prestigious environmentally friendly leather certification. Regardless of having big names like Nike or Ikea within its founding members, the LWG’s audit protocols are very strict and widely respected across the globe, which has allowed for it to have a much better reputation than that of some of its members. An indicator of this is the fact that many ethical consumers consider the LWG Gold to be the only positive standard held by Nike. As of today, the Leather Working Group is the number one globally recognised brand representing responsible leather sourcing to the industry and to consumers.
We have mapped the LWG to:
- Reducing Waste
- Protecting Ecosystems
LWG Certifies:
- Companies
- Suppliers & Manufacturers
Cost to get certified:
Subscription and Audit fees can be found here.
Do they perform audits on companies:
Yes, they do. Their audit protocols vary depending on the company's role on the supply chain, which determines their type of certification. These audit protocols are:
Standards listed on their website:
Yes, you can find the details on their P7 standards here.
Controversies:
We couldn't find any controversies related to the LWG, although we must say we still find peeling the skin off an animal pretty controversial.