What Is LWG (Leather Working Group) Certification? What the Medal Does and Doesn't Cover By Chester Takau · October 2026 LWG certification is an environmental audit of a tannery, not of the leather itself. Auditors score how a tannery manages, monitors and reports its environmental impact, and the result is a Gold, Silver, Bronze or "Audited" rating. A Gold-rated tannery can still make leather that is no more durable or humane than anyone else's, and the audit does not trace hides back to the farm. So "LWG certified" on a bag tag tells you about one stage of the supply chain. Chester Takau, TokMind Chester Takau writes about sustainable school gear from a Pacific-Island perspective, decoding eco-certifications so buyers can tell real claims from greenwashing. What do Gold, Silver, Bronze and "Audited" mean? The medal depends on the tannery's audit score. Gold also requires the high mark in every critical section, ...
