What certifications do you have to support your social and environmental claims?

We became a Certified B Corporation in 2017. Hosted by B-Lab, B Corporations (or B Corps for short) are forward thinking, for-profit companies that “meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”

B Corp certification is similar to fair trade but determines social and environmental impact beyond product attributes or production processes. Rather, the assessment takes a deep look into a company’s leadership, governance, suppliers, employees, communities, etc. in order to determine (and ultimately score) the social and environmental impact that an organization has on all of its stakeholders. According to B Lab, “[It] is the only certification that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. From your supply chain and input materials to your charitable giving and employee benefits, B Corp Certification proves your business is meeting the highest standards of verified performance.” You can learn more about B Corp certification here.

Aside from obtaining B Corp certification, many of our tanneries in León, Mexico, have been vetted and certified by the Leather Working Group, a third-party organization that has established the most highly respected environmental stewardship standard in the leather industry. Our factory in Peru also underwent a third party audit through Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS), the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company. We scored a 94 out of 100 possible points in areas ranging from health and safety, wages, working schedule, proper management of chemicals and hazardous materials, and management’s attitude toward social compliance, and ethical treatment of employees.

Our factory is currently pursuing two certifications through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO 9001 for product quality management and 14001 for environmental responsibility. Obtaining these will ensure our factory establishes and maintains the best social and environmental practices in our industry.