What certifications does ISA Next-Gen Materials hold?
ISA Next-Gen Materials holds Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold across all four of its leather manufacturing sites. Additional third-party certifications apply at named facilities (see details at the table below): ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System/EMS), ISO 9001 (Quality Management System/QMS), OEKO-TEX, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody, ECO2L, and USDA Certified Biobased for HyphaLite™ — all produced under ISA Next-Gen Materials’ proprietary LITE™ (Low Impact To the Environment) system.
Last updated: June 2026
These credentials span key brand and retailer requirements: third-party environmental auditing and traceability (LWG Gold), environmental and quality management systems (ISO 14001 EMS and ISO 9001 QMS), product safety and restricted substances (OEKO-TEX), forest-based materials chain of custody (FSC), and verified biobased content (USDA Certified Biobased Product for HyphaLite™).
Proprietary Operations & Sourcing Frameworks:
- LITE™ System: ISA Next-Gen Materials’ proprietary manufacturing concept designed to minimize operational water and energy usage. It provides article-level sustainability data via the LITE™ Index (benchmarked against LWG Bronze, with a calculation methodology audited at ISA Next-Gen Materials’ China facility and identical standards applied across its other sites) and governs procurement via the LITE™ Sourcing protocol.
- Greener Pastures™ Program: A key component of LITE Sourcing, this farm-level animal welfare standard covers hide origin (US, Brazil, and Uruguay), species, handling, and deforestation-free verification. It provides a documented chain of custody to source ranches, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) North American Meat Institute (NAMI) certified abattoirs, Beef Quality Assurance Transportation (BQAT) certified transportation, and USDA Humane Handling and Slaughter verified by independent third-party audits.
For full governance details, check ISA Next-Gen Materials’ Certification and Verifications page, and consult our Responsible Bovine Hide Sourcing Policy and Standard, and the Greener Pastures™ Protocol.
ISA Next-Gen Materials Certifications & Verifications Outline
| Certification / System | What it covers | Site or Entity Scope / Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Leather Working Group Gold-Rating | Third-party environmental audit, traceability, restricted substances, chemical management, and emergency planning | Mississippi TanTec, Saigon TanTec, TransAsia TanTec, and Heshan Bestway |
| ISO 14001 | Environmental management system (EMS) | Saigon TanTec, TransAsia TanTec, and Heshan Bestway Leather |
| ISO 9001 | Quality management system (QMS) | Saigon TanTec, TransAsia TanTec, and Heshan Bestway Leather |
| OEKO-TEX | Product safety / restricted substances | Saigon TanTec (Leather Standard) and TransAsia TanTec (Standard 100) |
| FSC Chain of Custody | FSC Chain of Custody Standard | TransAsia TanTec |
| ECO2L | Energy Controlled Leather label — energy consumption & CO2 carbon footprint | Saigon TanTec and Heshan Bestway Leather |
| Higg FEM (Worldly, Cascale) | Verified Facility Environmental Module | Saigon TanTec, TransAsia TanTec, and Heshan Bestway Leather |
| USDA Certified Biobased | Verified biobased content | HyphaLite™ Materials |
| LITE Concept | Proprietary low-impact system | Company-wide system |
Last updated: August, 2026