What is Leather Working Group (LWG)? 2024
At Nordform, we’re committed to sustainable products. Therefore, we are working together with two LWG Gold-rated manufacturers.
Leather Working Group – What is it?
Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global community committed to promoting sustainable leather practices. As a not-for-profit, LWG drives positive change by encouraging responsible production and awarding certifications like gold, silver, and bronze for environmentally-conscious manufacturing.
Leather Working Group aim to have a positive impact on the environment, as well as communities, through driving:
- Increased supply chain traceability & transparency
- Increased knowledge & access to data
- Improved resource efficiency in leather production
- Reduced waste generation and emissions to the environment
- Improved chemical management and increased use of non-hazardous chemicals
- Increased due diligence on the issues of deforestation and animal welfare
- Improved working conditions and fair treatment of workers
You can read more about Leather Working Group on their website here.
LWG certifications and ratings
LWG deals with leather manufacturers, leather traders, commissioning manufacturers, and subcontractors – All of these can be audited against the LWG standard.
The medal certifications awarded are Gold, Silver and Bronze. The medal levels are determined by industry best practices and incentivise environmentally friendly behaviour. They are rated at 85% (Gold), 75% (Silver), and 65% (Bronze). Suppliers are required to achieve at least the minimum score in each of the protocol’s scoring sections.
Our Production is Gold rated – the highest LWG rating
Our Turkish and Italian leather factories have achieved Gold-Rated status by the Leather Working Group, a prestigious certification that recognises excellence in sustainability and environmental practices within the leather industry. This rating is based on 17 separate sections, which you can read more about here.
A few focus point that both our partners are known for:
Eco-friendly production
Focus on employee safety
Social values
High-quality leather goods
At Nordform it is important for us to create high quality products in a sustainable way. By choosing to work with LWG-certified tanneries, we underscore our commitment to producing leather goods of the highest quality while prioritising environmental responsibility.
When buying a Nordform leather product, you’re also supporting more sustainable production and a traditional tanning method that has stood the test of time over centuries. These are often old producers who have held on to their values for decades.
Products made with LWG-certified leather
Our Turkish and Italian leather factories produces two different kinds of leather for us, Premium and Signature. You can read more about our two different kinds of leather here.
Premium Leather
Premium Leather: Our Premium leather comes from two renowned tanneries. Both have been experts in the field since the 1970s and 80s respectively. The leather is of the highest quality and is dyed using the traditional tanning method called vegetable tanning.
Products in Premium Leather
Black
Mocha
Cognac
Black
HazelMocha
WalnutCognac
BlackMochaCognac
BlackMochaCognac
BlackHazelMochaWalnutCognac
BlackHazelMochaWalnutCognac
BlackMochaCognacSignature Leather
Signature Leather: Our Signature Leather is made from Full Grain cow and buffalo hides, both of which are known for their durability and great looks. Buffalo leather comes from water buffalo and is extra robust, while cowhide is finer and commonly used in the leather world. All of our skins are by-products from the food industry.
Products in Signature Leather
Black
BarkMochaCognac
Stone
BlackBarkMochaCognac
OliveStone
BlackBarkMochaCognacOliveStone
BlackBarkMochaCognacStone
BlackBarkCognac
SandOlive