Austan Ltd has recently passed the Leather Working Group (LWG) audit and has attained its membership, said a statement.
"The LWG membership of Austan Ltd at a critical juncture of the leather sector in Bangladesh facing the environmental issues, is a commendable achievement and a step forward in the right direction for the sector", said Mr. Saiful Islam, president of the Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers' and Exporters' Association who is also the Chairman of Austan Ltd.
Austan Ltd, an ISO 14001:2015 certified tannery was established through Australian investment in 2010. The tannery is located inside Savar EPZ and is the only tannery in Bangladesh with access to a fully functional effluent treatment plant.
The LWG is multi-stakeholder group seeking to improve the leather manufacturing industry by creating alignment on environmental priorities, bringing visibility to best practices and providing suggested guidelines for continual improvement. It is the group's objective to work transparently, involving brands, suppliers, retailers, leading technical experts within the leather industry, NGOs and other stakeholder organisations.
The LWG is made up of member brands, retailers, product manufacturers, leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers, machinery suppliers, technical experts and other service providers that work together to maintain environmental stewardship protocols specifically for the leather manufacturing industry.
The LWG environmental audit protocol is the result of an effort between brands and leather manufacturers over several years. The protocol is a living document which is reviewed and updated on a regular basis. The protocol focuses on factors relating to the environmental performance of tannery operations, such as energy and water usage, waste management, and the management of restricted substances.
The leather manufacturers audited under the LWG protocol represent approximately 20 per cent of the world's production of footwear leather and approximately 17 per cent of total leather volume.
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