28 May 2020

The annual LWG Member Surveys are an essential tool for helping steer the direction and focus of the Leather Working Group. We received a total of 245 responses to the 2020 LWG Member Survey, comprised of: 125 Leather Manufacturers 56 Suppliers 45 Brands/Retailers 18 Agent Traders This represents 34% of the total LWG Membership and the highest survey response rate we have seen.  By analysing the key themes of the Member Survey, we hope to understand the main priorities for our members across the leather supply chain and make effective change where possible. The key takeaways from the 2020 Member Survey are: The development direction of the...

28 May 2020

In an effort to provide continued value for member companies, the Leather Working Group will launch a series of regular webinars on several different topics with relevance to the leather supply chain.  Drawing from our training programme in 2019, we will redevelop our training workshops on chemical management and the LWG Trader Audit Protocol into webinars suitable for online delivery. Each webinar will last approximately 1-hour and will be delivered in English. Each topic will be scheduled multiple times to accommodate participants across multiple time-zones. Additional webinars will focus on: Audit Documentation and Administration Environmental Management...

28 May 2020

LWG reminds members to please complete the Covid-19 Impacts Survey, opened for responses from all Voting Contacts on 13th May 2020. As a member organisation, LWG values feedback and input from our member companies across the leather supply chain. Our annual Member Survey, usually opened in January each year, is a key driver in the group’s strategic direction for the next 12 months. Given the continued development of the global public health emergency and its impact on our industry, we recognise that the priorities of our member companies may have shifted since they completed our annual survey in January/February. If you are listed as the Voting Contact for your company,...

18 May 2020

All LWG-certified leather manufacturers holding a valid certificate will be granted a 12-month extension of their membership. After much discussion, the LWG Executive Committee have agreed to extend the current 24-month certification period to 36 months temporarily, giving LWG leather manufacturers a period of stability during these uncertain times.  The group initially provided 3-month extensions to companies due for a re-audit between February and early May 2020. Going forward, all tanners will be automatically granted the 12-month extension without the need for a formal request.  Companies holding a certificate that has already been extended by 3-months will be granted...

23 March 2020

Since the inception of the Leather Working Group in 2005, we have supported stakeholders across the global leather industry to provide confidence in your supply chains. Over recent weeks, our organisation and many member companies have felt the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on business. We wanted to reach out to all of our members to reassure you that we, as a group, are taking a pro-active approach to keep our staff safe and maintain full operational capacity. Here’s what we have done so far: Cancelled the LWG Member Meeting in Hong Kong, following the cancellation of the Asia Pacific Leather Fair. This meeting was replaced by an online webinar on 26th May...

13 May 2020

Congratulations to Curtume Moderno S.A on their Silver Medal Award 

23 April 2020

Conformance to the ZDHC MRSL During a LWG Chemical Management Module (CMM) audit it is not necessary that chemical products be registered in ZDHC Gateway in order to demonstrate conformance to the MRSL requirements. Conformance can be demonstrated by either: a written declaration of conformance to the ZDHC MRSL, from the chemical supplier, or a demonstration of conformance from the chemical supplier, using the ZDHC Gateway - Chemical Module. ZDHC MRSL 1.1 or 2.0? The LWG CMM requires conformance to the ZDHC MRSL version in place at the time of a CMM audit (at date of issue of this statement, this refers to Version...

29 April 2020

LWG opens registration for its Membership Update Webinar, to be held on Tuesday 26th May 2020. After the cancellation of the LWG Member Meeting in Hong Kong, originally scheduled for 3rd April 2020, LWG will provide a condensed 2-hour presentation for members to update them on the activity of the group. The webinar will cover topics such as LWG's response to Covid-19, benchmarking, updates on training and the LWG Tannery of the Future, and the ZDHC MRSL. View the full agenda here.  Places are limited, so make sure to register as soon as possible by clicking here and completing the registration form.  The webinar will be recorded and published in the private Member...

23 April 2020

As the outbreak of the coronavirus continues to affect the global marketplace, LWG has instituted an audit certification extension scheme for those leather manufacturers and traders that are unable to undergo their scheduled re-audit.  The web listings of those companies that have applied for an extension have been amended to reflect the new expiry date. To ensure proper visibility, we have added a note to these listings to identify those that have been granted an extension and list their original expiry date. See example below: If no reference to an extension is made, the audit expiry date is as listed on their certificate and within their audit report.  All web...

17 April 2020

The LWG Chemical Management Module (CMM) is currently a standalone, optional assessment but it will be integrated into the main LWG Environmental Audit Protocol in Version 7.0, to be published later this year.   LWG is currently developing several different technical workstreams in addition to the main protocol uplift. The LWG Technical Sub-Group (TSG) completed some initial work on Protocol 7.0 in 2019 and will continue to refine the protocol document later this year.   The integration of the CMM into the main protocol will be one of the key elements of P7 and will make MRSL-related chemical management questions mandatory. Duplicative CMM questions will be removed and...

01 April 2020

During to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Leather Working Group is taking all precautions to ensure the safety of our administrative and auditors by following advice from local health authorities and the World Health Organisation.  As a result, we have offered a 3-month extension window for existing LWG members due to the travel restrictions preventing our auditors from visiting a facility onsite. We aim to give flexibility to our certified leather manufacturers as well as our auditing team. We are also in the process of investigating a temporary a remote auditing scheme, which would be available to facilities which already hold a current LWG audit certification. However,...

01 April 2020

The Leather Working Group experienced a 30% increase in members in 2019, bringing our group’s membership number to over 800 companies. As our membership grows, so too does the level of service we aim to offer our members and our scope of work. In an effort to continue offering fast, reliable and accurate support to the industry, LWG has recruited an additional member of staff.  At the end of February 2020, LWG welcomed Matt Parker, the LWG Membership Engagement Executive, to the team. Matt will be based in our head office in the UK, alongside other core members of our team that deal with audit administration, events and communication. Matt comes from a professional...