LWG — Leather Working Group
Leather Working Group Leather Manufacturer Audit
Rates the tannery, not the hide and not the finished article, and says nothing about animal welfare. It does not apply to leather alternatives or synthetics at all, so a plant-based sheet quoted as LWG-rated is citing the wrong scheme.
What it covers
Environmental performance audit of a leather manufacturing facility — water and energy use, waste and effluent handling, chemical management and traceability of incoming hides. Sites are rated Audited / Bronze / Silver / Gold.
What it does not cover
Rates the tannery, not the hide and not the finished article. Does not certify animal welfare. Does not apply to leather alternatives or any synthetic material — a supplier citing LWG for a plant-based sheet is citing the wrong certificate.
Scope and exclusions are recorded from the issuing body’s own published documentation. A certificate covers what its scope statement says and nothing beyond it.