After achieving a 99.89% grade, the distribution centre (DC) at the JBS Couros Vietnam unit was certified in accordance with the 2.0.2 distributor assessment protocol, audited and issued by the Leather Working Group (LWG), the industry’s main regulator for best environmental practices throughout the global leather industry.
The LWG’s members include major international brands, suppliers, retailers and other industry companies; the group uses increasingly stringent metrics in areas such as water and energy consumption, control of restricted substances and waste management and treatment to ensure its protocols remain focused on best environmental practices.
“We are very proud of this achievement, because, in addition to acknowledging our concerns about the environment, our employees and society, it is also testament to our focus on sustainability, transparency and innovation”, said Ildemar Marchi, JBS Couros CEO in Asia.
The results obtained by the Vietnam DC comply with the most recent version of the LWG distributors protocol. Launched at the beginning of 2017, the document is intended to promote responsible and transparent leather management in all areas of the production chain. As a result, audited units need to provide evidence of trading volumes as well as details of their supply chains, so that end customers are able to use this data on certified materials as part of their own audits.
“The JBS Couros traceability system means we cannot only track leather from the meatpacking plant and the farm groups supplying it on any specific date, we can also monitor all of the processes and products involving the raw material to increase the product quality and safety”, said Fernando Bellese, Marketing and Sustainability manager at JBS Couros.
He explained that this further strengthens JBS Couros traceability leadership in the global leather industry because, in over seven years of LWG certification, the company has always obtained an A grade in all tanning plant audits. “This means that our Asian customers can depend on a stable source of certified splits and more than 65,000,000 tons year of material, leveraging grades of almost 100% obtained by JBS products during their own audits”, he said.
The business unit has two distribution centers serving customers globally. Now, following the Vietnam unit assessment, it plans to hold the same audit at its Campo Grande (MS) structure at the beginning of 2018.
Created in 2009, JBS Couros produces leather in the wet blue, crust and finished product stages for the automotive, furniture and footwear and leather goods sectors. Its global business structure makes JBS as an obvious choice for companies that need high production capacity, quality and guaranteed delivery, allied with innovation, to meet an increasingly demanding market.
