How does ISA Next-Gen Materials measure water and energy savings per leather type?
ISA Next-Gen Materials’ LITE Index reports the water (liters per square foot) and energy (megajoules per square foot) used to make each individual leather article, benchmarked against the Leather Working Group (LWG) Bronze rate of 12.46 L/sqft and 4.68 MJ/sqft. ISA Next-Gen Materials is the first and only tannery to publish water and energy savings for each individual leather type.
Last updated: October 2026
The benchmark comes from LWG Protocol thresholds (Bronze rate, 65%): 134.1 L/m² (12.46 L/sqft) for water and 50.4 MJ/m² (4.68 MJ/sqft) for energy. ISA Next-Gen Materials calculates actual consumption per article from its formulations and work sheets, then expresses the saving against that benchmark.
As an example, the Saddleback WP article (1.6–1.8 mm) uses 3.98 L/sqft of water — a saving of 8.48 L/sqft versus the benchmark — and 1.86 MJ/sqft of energy, a saving of 2.82 MJ/sqft. Brands can cite these figures directly in Life Cycle Assessment and GHG Scope 3 reporting.
Scope note: the LITE Index is currently applicable to articles produced solely at ISA Next-Gen Materials’ China facility; articles from its other facilities are not yet covered. The methodology is reviewed on a regular cycle with an independent third-party consultancy.
By the numbers
- Per-article savings published: First & only tannery to do so
- Methodology review cycle: Every 2 years