Chain of Custody

Why is Traceability of leather important?

Driving the implementation of systems and processes which enable transparency in the leather industry is a strategic priority for LWG members.  Visibility within the supply chain provides brands and stakeholders the opportunity to understand their full global footprint and to assess, monitor and make improvements across diverse issues and risks.  From deforestation, animal welfare and biodiversity to water and carbon foot-printing, these topics can only be accurately understood with full visibility of where materials originate from and how they were produced.

Chain of custody: Knowing exactly where your leather comes from

Leather Working Group’s suite of standards continue to drive best practice in leather production including assessing the level of traceability of materials to the slaughterhouse or equivalent stage. LWG certification is focused on leather manufacturing and manages the chain of custody for this part of the value chain.  For LWG members to make claims regarding the sustainability credentials of products made with leather from LWG certified sources all stages of the value chain need to be connected and the flow of materials monitored.

Extending LWG certification to complete the chain of custody

LWG plans to extend the chain of custody building the system from a site-based certification, to monitoring transactions and enable verified product claims to be made.  As part of the LWG Traceability Roadmap, LWG has set an aim for verified product claims to be possible for members by 2026.