For more Transparency in the Leather Industry

The Sustainable Leather Foundation CIC and the OEKO-TEX® Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the two parties will work collaboratively across a number of areas which will benefit the global leather industry.

March 30, 2021

The primary aim of this MoU is for the parties to work together in a collaborative and pre-competitive way that supports improvement in standards and promotes ethical, fair, and open dialogue for the common good of the leather industry. Specific objectives include:

· identifying equivalency of standards for the purposes of certification in the leather industry, to reduce burden and duplication of effort on the leather manufacturers

· identifying common areas of work for joint development to provide more harmonised sets of standards and expectations with the global leather value chain

· working collaboratively on joint communications, meetings and events that help to support understanding and improvement in the leather industry and for consumers

Deborah Taylor, Managing Director of the Sustainable Leather Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be working with OEKO-TEX® within a formal MoU framework that allows us to support the leather industry more cohesively. OEKO-TEX® are well-recognised as leaders within the textile industry for their work, with over 25 years experience in certifying textile products that have been tested for harmful chemicals. More recently their portfolio has expanded to include leather as well as textiles and we are looking forward to finding more connected ways to help brands and retailers provide peace of mind and a sense of trust to their consumers”.

Georg Dieners, Secretary General of OEKO-TEX®, commented: “We are very much looking forward to the collaboration with the Sustainable Leather Foundation. With its broad and collaborative approach, the SLF provides enhanced performance and credibility for the end-consumer and the environment. Only in a joint approach with multiple partners will we achieve meaningful impact towards a more transparent and sustainable future”.

About Sustainable Leather Foundation:

Sustainable Leather Foundation is a global, not-for-profit, foundation, incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC) for the benefit of all stakeholders in the leather industry. With an industry led, consumer focused approach, the Foundation provides a certification programme; education; best practice; cohesive collaboration and global action. At the heart of the foundation is a transparent dashboard app and integrated web platform, linked to a certification standard that assesses new, or records existing, conformance and performance of leather manufacturers and associated facilities, against the three pillars of sustainability; Environmental, Social and Governance. By providing a consumer accessible window to sustainability performance, alongside fully transparent, detailed data for the value chain partners, the Foundation can independently foster better collaboration, better solutions and better outcomes for people, planet and profit.

More information:

Deborah Taylor: Deborah@sustainableleatherfoundation.com

Website: www.sustainableleatherfoundation.com

OEKO-TEX® press contact:

press@oekotex.com