What is LWG Gold Certification? Why Does New Loco Use It?

What is LWG Gold Certification? Why Does New Loco Use LWG Gold Leather?

The quality of a premium leather product is not determined by simply saying "it's handmade." The real question is: from which tannery, produced according to what standards, does this leather come? LWG Gold answers this question with a globally recognized standard.

Note: The correct usage is not “LWG Gold certified product” but “leather sourced from an LWG Gold rated tannery.” This is because LWG certification is primarily awarded to the facility (tannery), not the product.

What is LWG (Leather Working Group)?

The Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global audit and certification standard developed to measure the environmental and operational performance of tanneries in the leather industry. Initiated in 2005, the LWG audit comprehensively assesses how a tannery measures, controls, and reports the environmental impact of its production operations.

LWG's objective is clear: to reduce the environmental impact of leather production and increase transparency in the supply chain.

Who Founded LWG?

LWG started in 2005 as a joint initiative of leading footwear, apparel, and upholstery brands, along with leather manufacturers. According to LWG's own account, founding/initial stakeholders included names such as adidas, Clarks, IKEA, Nike, Marks & Spencer, New Balance, Timberland, PrimeAsia Leather Company, and ISA TanTec.

Additionally, LWG states that NGOs such as WWF and Greenpeace contributed to the development of the audit protocol, alongside brands and tanneries.

What Does LWG Gold Mean? (Gold–Silver–Bronze Logic)

LWG audit results are reflected as a rating for tanneries:

Gold: 85% and above
Silver: 75% and above
Bronze: 65% and above
Audited: 50% and above

A critical detail: The final "medal" rating is determined by the lowest score within the audit categories. So, if you received Gold in some areas and Silver in others, the overall result might drop to Silver.

What is the Characteristic of LWG Certification? What Does It Measure?

LWG measures the tannery's process management and impacts, not abstract claims like "producing beautiful leather." The audit assesses the competence in managing the impact of production operations and includes 17 separate sections. Example topics include: water and energy usage, environmental management, chemical management, waste and effluent, occupational health and safety.

Furthermore, LWG addresses traceability with a separate scoring logic: Can the tannery trace the material at least back to a specific slaughterhouse? This traceability rate is also reported as a percentage.

In summary, LWG Gold places a measurable supply discipline behind the word "premium."

How to Obtain LWG Gold Certification?

Important point: The LWG certificate is obtained by the tannery/facility itself, not by a brand like New Loco. Brands, on the other hand, bring this standard into their supply chain by choosing suppliers with high LWG ratings.

The general process shared by LWG is as follows:

Preparation / Suitability assessment: LWG recommends measuring the tannery's readiness level according to the Leather Manufacturer Standard with the "Tannery of the Future" survey (free).

Improvement work: Deficiencies identified in the pre-assessment (e.g., chemical inventory, waste management, measurement, reporting) are implemented on-site.

Official audit with an LWG-approved independent auditor: Audits are not conducted by LWG, but by independent auditors with LWG Approved Auditor status, and reports are additionally reviewed by LWG Assurance.

Scoring and grading: Scores are determined as Gold/Silver/Bronze/Audited.

Validity period and renewal: According to LWG, certification for leather manufacturing facilities is valid for 24 months (the duration differs for some supply chain actors).

Why Does New Loco Use Leather from LWG Gold Rated Tanneries?

New Loco's claim of "mastery" is not just about stitching; the source of the material is also part of this claim. The main reasons we choose leather from LWG Gold rated tanneries are:

1) Ensuring premium quality through supply standards
Craftsmanship, patina, full-grain choices… These only yield consistent results in leather whose production is disciplined. LWG Gold maintains the tannery's process management at a level verified by independent audit.

2) Transparency in chemical and environmental management
At the heart of the LWG audit are topics like chemical management, water/energy usage, waste, and effluent – these are "invisible but define quality and ethical standards." For New Loco, this is the foundation of the brand's premium stance.

3) Traceability and supply chain confidence
LWG specifically assesses traceability and requires the tannery to be able to trace the material back to a specific source. This allows us as a brand to manage "what we use" more clearly.

4) Concrete example: Sepici (Turkey)
Sepici, one of the tannery sources used by New Loco, openly shares on its sustainability page that it received LWG Bronze certification in 2018 and LWG Gold in 2020, and that the audits covered areas such as energy, environment, and chemical management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does LWG Gold mean "the leather is organic"?
No. LWG does not offer a claim like an "organic" label. LWG audits the environmental and operational management of a tannery's production processes.

Is LWG certification given to the product itself?
Generally, no. LWG audits are conducted on a "site/facility" basis, and the certificate is issued to the tannery. Therefore, the correct statement is "leather sourced from an LWG Gold rated tannery."

How long is LWG Gold valid?
According to LWG, certification for leather manufacturing facilities is valid for 24 months.