From 2017 onwards, producers and suppliers of leather goods can also have their products certified to be tested for harmful substances by the International OEKO-TEX® Association. The basis for the certification is the new LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®, which was launched during the annual meeting of the General Managers of the OEKO-TEX® institutes in Ostend, Belgium at the start of November. Formed in 1992 and celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017, the OEKO-TEX® Association, in response to the latest developments in the textile, leather goods and footwear market, is adding the leather sector to its extensive testing and certification system that has focused so far on textile products and accessory materials.

The LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® is a worldwide consistent, independent testing and certification system for leather and leather articles of all levels of production. Examples of articles that can be certified are: semifinished leather products (e.g. Wet-blue, Wet-white, Crust etc.), finished leather, leather fiber material, ready made articles (garments of all types, accessories, leather gloves, leather handbags, leather covers and much more).

The precondition for the certification of leather materials and leather articles/products in accordance with LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® is that all parts of an article meet the required criteria – in addition to the leather, for example, also textile fabrics, sewing threads, inserts, prints, labels etc., as well as non-textile accessories, such as buttons, zip fasteners, rivets etc.

Criteria

The central focus of the LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® has been the development of test criteria, limit values and test methods on a scientific basis. On the basis of its comprehensive and strict catalogue of measures for harmful substances, with several hundred regulated individual substances, the LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® takes account of:

• Important legal regulations, such as banned azo colourants, chromium(VI), formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, nickel release, PFOS etc.
• Numerous harmful chemicals, even if they are not yet legally regulated.
• Requirements of Annexes XVII and XIV of the European Chemicals Regulation REACh as well as of the ECHA SVHC Candidate List insofar as they are assessed by expert groups of the OEKO-TEX® Association to be relevant for leather materials and leather articles/products. Discussions and developments that are considered to be relevant are taken into account as quickly and effectively as possible through updates to the LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® requirements.
• Requirements from the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) regarding lead.
• Numerous also environmentally relevant substance classes.

The LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® therefore contributes to high and effective product safety from a consumer’s point of view. Test criteria and limit values in many cases go far beyond applicable national and international standards.

Laboratory tests and product classes

The LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® tests for harmful substances are fundamentally based on the respective purpose of the leather materials respectively leather articles/products. The more intensive the skin contact of a product and the more sensitive the skin, the stricter the human-ecological requirements that need to be complied with.

Accordingly, a distinction is made between four product classes:

• Product class I: Products for babies and toddlers up to 3 years age (leather clothing, leather gloves, crawling sheepskin, fur etc.)
• Product class II: Products that are worn close to the skin (leather trousers/-jackets, leather underwear etc.)
• Product class III: Products used away from the skin (lined leather jackets/overcoats, leather handbags, leather belts etc.)
• Product class IV: Decoration/Furnishing materials (upholstery leather covers etc.)

The quality assurance measures include Declaration of Conformity, Company Audits and Control Tests.

It is noted the validity period of an issued certificate is limited to a maximum of one year.Three months before the validity period for the usage of the LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® label expires, the certificate holder can apply for a certificate prolongation for a further year.

C&K Testing advises businesses take notice of updates to achieve sustainability.

|Further information

Declaration of conformity LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX

LEATHER STANDARD Factsheet

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 (Version 2016) Updated

|Our Services Textiles, Footwear and Luggage OEKO-TEX® Standard 100