07 September 2020

Next up in LWG Webinar Series is an online training on the topic of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) within the context of leather manufacturing and related facilities. The webinar will touch on general best practice for EMS within tanneries, existing standards/certifications, as well as the requirements within the LWG Environmental Audit Protocol.  To date, the LWG Webinar Series has offered training on the following topics:  Audit Administration & Documentation   Risk Assessment & Emergency Planning  CrVI Formation, Prevention &...

07 September 2020

Last month, LWG published a technical article written by our guest contributor, Georgina Mawer, giving an overview of the key factors in the formation and prevention of CrVI in leather manufacturing.  Following on from this, we hosted the latest instalment of the LWG Webinar Series on the same topic, delivered by Georgina in two sessions over 26th & 27th August. The virtual event covered how CrVI can be formed in the production and usage of leather, with guidelines on how companies can monitor and prevent is formation going forward. We also covered important legislation on CrVI in an international...

07 September 2020

The Leather Working Group will soon launch the Traceability Working Group, a subcommittee of our core governance groups, to focus on developing our understanding of traceability within the leather industry.   The group will work on refining our definitions of traceability and how leather can be considered traceable throughout the leather supply chain. Furthermore, we will take into account the influence of different stakeholders in the leather industry and regional differences in traceability systems.   Ultimately, the new group will focus on how to facilitate a higher level of traceability and investigate the practicalities of...

07 September 2020

Amazon is committed to making it easier for customers to choose high-quality, more sustainable apparel products. Therefore, Amazon joined the Leather Working Group (LWG) for the 2020/21 membership year in April 2020. After becoming a member, Amazon has made a commitment to source the leather for their private brand apparel and shoe product lines from LWG-certified leather manufacturers by 2023. Read more about Amazon’s commitment to sustainability within the apparel industry here.

03 August 2020

The next installment of the LWG Webinar Series will address Chromium VI (CrVI), focusing on monitoring and prevention within the context of leather manufacturing facilities. Notably, our webinar will include information the requirements of the LWG Environmental Audit Protocol, as well as considerations for future iterations of the audit.   To date, the LWG Webinar Series offers training on the following topics:  Audit Administration & Documentation   Risk Assessment & Emergency Planning  Monitoring & Prevention of CrVI  LWG will host the training webinar on CrVI and it...

03 August 2020

The ZDHC MRSL 2.0 was updated in June 2020 to include new statements on heavy metals, most notably for metal complexed dyes. This change is related to the fact that a reliable test has not yet been developed to distinguish between heavy metals that are complexed in dyes and those which are present as an impurity.   LWG officially endorses the ZDHC MRSL and requires conformance to the it during the course of an LWG Chemical Management Module (CMM) audit. To clarify, LWG requires conformance to the version of the MRSL in place at the time of a CMM audit. When ZDHC MRSL Version 2.0 has been fully implemented...

03 August 2020

*Please note, nominatons are now closed for this round of EC elections* The Leather Working Group (LWG) has opened nominations for two positions on the LWG Executive Committee (EC). Two current EC members will come to the end of their terms in September 2020: Clarks International (brand representative) and Sadesa (leather manufacturer representative). As such, we welcome nominations from our Brand Members and Audited Leather Manufacturers.  The LWG Executive Committee is the leading governance body of the group, comprised of representatives from across the leather supply chain. Also, the group requires the inclusion of at least one small leather manufacturer and one...

03 August 2020

The most recent addition to the LWG webinar series featured a virtual seminar on risk assessments and emergency planning within leather manufacturing facilities, within the context of the LWG Environmental Audit protocol.   Mark Lucas, LWG-approved auditor and member of the LWG Technical Sub-Group (TSG) delivered the webinar in two sessions: the first on Wednesday 29th July and the second on Thursday 30th July 2020. LWG aims to provide all webinars in at least two separate live sessions, to allow for members across multiple different time-zones to attend.   Section 12 of the LWG Environmental Audit Protocol...

03 August 2020

Guest Contributor: Georgina Mawer, Eurofins BLC Leather Technology Centre  The presence of Chromium VI in leather goods remains under the supply chain spotlight. It is mentioned in weekly RAPEX reports (EU), ongoing discussions under the proposed EU sensitizer regulations and in recent 60-day notices under the California Proposition 65 law (US). Products containing excessive levels of Chromium VI continue to be withdrawn from the market, recalled from end users, and rejected at borders, impacting manufacturers and retailers in terms of cost and reputation.  Chromium – The Facts  Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, animals,...

03 August 2020

The Leather Working Group (LWG) hosted a webinar for members of the LWG Animal Welfare Group (AWG), as well as interested parties across the LWG membership.  Launched in 2016, the AWG was created as a separately funded educational forum for members of LWG to discuss animal welfare within the context of the leather manufacturing industry. The group is informational only and provides members with access to high-level overviews of agricultural and sourcing practices in various countries.   The webinar was well attended by AWG members and some potential new members also joined to learn more about some of the insights gained...

06 July 2020

As Covid-19 continues to impact global trade, the Leather Working Group recognises that reductions in production output may have a negative impact on the energy and water usage performance of tanneries.    Whist this situation persists, a temporary allowance will be granted to tanneries undergoing an audit during this period. Tanneries will be able to exclude some of the poorer performance months when the scoring is determined in the energy and water sections.  The allowance is only applicable to P6.7.0. The applicability of the allowance will be reviewed by TSG at least every six months. As a result, we are pleased to issue Version 6.7.0 of the LWG...

06 July 2020

Version 3.0.0 of the LWG Trader Audit Protocol becomes the mandatory protocol for the auditing of all part-processed and finished material traders.   Following the initial launch of V3.0.0 in December 2019, LWG provided a six-month introductory period, where currently certified traders could choose to be audited using either the previous version of the protocol (V2.0.3) or the new version of the protocol.  The introductory period ended on 30th June 2020, henceforth all trader audits will be conducted against Version 3.0.0 of the LWG Trader Audit Protocol.  To be eligible for this audit, Traders must:  have a...