LWG certified leather: what the Leather Working Group checks

You may have seen "LWG certified leather" on a product page and wondered what it actually means. In short, it tells you something about the tannery where the leather was made, not about the wallet or bag itself. This guide explains who the Leather Working Group is, what its audits look at, what certification can and cannot tell you as a shopper, and how to ask a brand about it.

What is the Leather Working Group?

The Leather Working Group, usually shortened to LWG, is an independent body that audits leather tanneries. Its members include tanneries, brands, suppliers and others across the leather trade, and its aim is to improve how leather is made, especially its effect on the environment.

A tannery is the place where raw hides are turned into leather. It is the most chemical-heavy and water-heavy step in the whole journey from hide to finished wallet, which is why LWG focuses its attention there.

When a tannery passes an LWG audit, it becomes LWG certified. Leather from that tannery is what people mean when they say LWG certified leather.

What an LWG audit looks at

An LWG audit is a detailed visit and review of a tannery's operations and records. It covers several areas.

Chemical management

Tanning, dyeing and finishing use many chemicals. The audit looks at how a tannery chooses, stores, handles and tracks them, and how it keeps restricted substances out of its process.

Water

Tanneries use a lot of water, and the water that leaves them needs treatment. Auditors look at how much water is used for the leather produced, and how waste water is handled before it leaves the site.

Energy

The audit checks how the tannery measures and manages the energy it uses for machinery, drying and heating.

Waste

Tanning produces trimmings, shavings, sludge and packaging waste. The audit looks at how this waste is handled, reduced and disposed of.

Traceability

Traceability is about knowing where the hides came from. Auditors check how well a tannery can trace its raw material back through its supply chain.

Keeping certification

Certification is not a one-time stamp. A tannery has to be audited again at regular intervals to keep it. That matters, because it means the standard is checked again and again, not only on the day the certificate was first earned.

What LWG certification tells you

As a shopper, LWG certification gives you a few useful signals.

• The tannery has been independently checked. Someone outside the tannery has looked at its processes and records.
• The checks cover the environmental side of leather making, which is otherwise hard for a buyer to see.
• The standard is maintained, through regular repeat audits.
• The brand has looked at where its leather comes from. A brand that can name LWG-certified tanneries as its source has at least asked the question.

What LWG certification does not tell you

It is just as useful to know the limits.

• It is not a product certificate. LWG audits tanneries. It does not inspect a particular wallet, belt or bag.
• It does not grade the leather. It does not tell you which layer of the hide the leather comes from, or its grade. If you want to understand those terms, see our guide to leather types explained.
• It does not judge the making. Stitching, edges, fit and finish depend on whoever made the product, not on the tannery.
• It does not cover every step. Cutting, stitching and packing happen after the tannery, at the maker's workshop.
• It does not tell you if a product is real leather. For that, our guide to real leather vs imitation helps.

So LWG certification is one good piece of the picture, not the whole picture.

Ratings, briefly

LWG gives audited tanneries a rating based on how they score across the audit. Different tanneries hold different ratings, and ratings can change after a re-audit. If the rating matters to you, ask the brand which rating its tannery holds and when it was last audited, rather than assuming.

How to ask a brand about LWG

If a brand mentions LWG, it is fair to ask a few plain questions. A brand that sources thoughtfully should be comfortable answering them.

1. Is the leather from an LWG-certified tannery, or is the brand only a member? Membership and certification are not the same thing.
2. Does it cover all of the leather, or only some pieces? Some brands source from several tanneries.
3. When was the tannery last audited? Certification needs regular audits to stay current.
4. Who makes the finished product? This tells you who is responsible for the making, separately from the tanning.
5. How are new pieces checked? Ask whether samples are reviewed before full production.

Where wulet stands

Every wulet piece is real leather, and the leather comes from LWG-certified tanneries. The pieces are made by TARS Creations and sold by KKSK Fashion Mart LLP. Each new piece is approved as a physical sample before it is made in quantity, so the design, the leather and the finish are checked in hand first.

That applies across the range, from a small piece like the everyday card holder to the slim bifold and the compact tote. On every piece the edges are sealed and painted, and the wulet symbol is debossed into the leather, never printed.

If you would like to know more about how we work, see about wulet or our leather guide. For anything else, you can call or WhatsApp us on +91 99440 77226.