The next phase of the strategic partnership between the global OEKO-TEX® Association and Danish traceability pioneer SPOOR, a division of Scan-Hide, aims to redefine transparency in the leather sector. By means of this collaboration, the two groups will advance a data-driven methodology that permits complete leather product traceability down to the specific animal farm, establishing a new worldwide benchmark for ethical sourcing.
This program guarantees that every leather hide can be tracked from birth through the tanning process to the finished product by utilising SPOOR’s state-of-the-art tracking technology. The OEKO-TEX® Label Check then digitises this traceability data, making it easy for customers to view and visualise the locations and stages right away.
OEKO-TEX® further establishes its MADE IN GREEN badge as a standard for transparent and sustainable leather by certifying each production facility involved for ecologically responsible procedures, appropriate chemical management, and the observance of social responsibility criteria.
This partnership gives companies the opportunity to give customers substantiated information about the provenance and manufacturing methods of their leather goods, which is a significant step towards a more ethical and ecologically conscious leather sector.
To establish OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN as the label for leather supply chain transparency for goods made from subpar hides, the partnership will begin as a pilot project.
SPOOR leather obtained the OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD accreditation in January 2025, marking a significant advancement towards the MADE IN GREEN designation. Scan-Hide’s 2023 OEKO-TEX® STeP accreditation was another noteworthy achievement. With the LEATHER STANDARD accreditation, the first MADE IN GREEN pre-tanned leather label is introduced, providing complete farm-to-farm traceability.
SPOOR believes that co-creation with all stakeholders in the value chain is essential for creating meaningful change, Birgitte Holgaard Langer, Business Development Director at SPOOR and Annika Sauerhöfer, Product Manager at OEKO-TEX® agrees, saying that this collaboration is a milestone in the journey to set new industry standards and drive the future of responsibly sourced and transparent leather.
Based on unique IDs given to each hide at birth, the SPOOR traceability system tracks the hide from the farm to tanning in Denmark’s only surviving tannery to the finished product. This strategy guarantees complete documented transparency, satisfying the rising demand from customers for sustainable and ethical sourcing.
