Factsheet

LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®(1)

LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®

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.Wetblue, Wetwhite, 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.

For the leather materials the conditions and criteria of the latest valid LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® are applied,

for non-leather components contained (e.g. textile materials, metallic accessories etc.) the requirements of the latest valid

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® have to be fulfilled.

DESIGNED FOR

› Brands / Retailer

› Traders of leather products

› Sourcing offices

› Manufacturers of leather materials and leather articles along the entire supply chain

› Etc.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

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 OEKOTEX® 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.