ECO₂L Energy Controlled Leather

The world’s first CO₂ and energy label for tanneries

Energy consumption and sustainable production have been of central importance to companies for many years. Climate change poses challenges, such as preventing a further rise in temperatures, for societies worldwide.

This also incentivised the German Leather Federation (VDL) to establish the ECO₂L (Energy Controlled Leather) label as the world’s first calculation and auditing model for determining the energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions of a tannery.

The ECO2L label is owned by VDL. It is based on a calculation tool that was devised by the “ECO2L Working Group” and is constantly being further developed.

The aim is to determine the energy consumption and CO2 footprint of a tannery and make it comparable to other tanneries. The standard was developed in 2012 by active members of VDL in collaboration with the Research Association for Leather (Forschungsgemeinschaft Leder e.V.) – from practical experience for practical use.

ECO2L is an active contribution of a responsible leather industry to climate protection and an essential aspect in the assessment of a sustainable leather product.

How it works

Audits are always carried out on-site by an authorised auditor. In preparation for the audit, the tannery collects the data in advance using the Preparational Tool and the Guideline. The collected data is entered into the calculation tool by the auditor in accordance with the specifications of the ECO2L Guidebook. The plausibility of the data entry and the compliance of the entries with the Guidebook are checked by FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH in a peer review. If the results of the audit fulfil the requirements of the Guidebook, VDL issues a certificate.

The certification is associated with the right to use the ECO₂L label for advertising purposes for three years.

Guideline for determining a corporate carbon footprint

The Guideline is intended to provide an overview for companies and interested parties. At the same time, it is also intended to provide support in completing the Preparational Tool.

The decisive factor for awarding of the ECO2L 2.0 certificate remains the energy efficiency of the company in comparison to the BEET energy benchmark.

The principle is:

A product with a good ecological footprint can only be sustainable if it has been manufactured in an energy-efficient manner.

Requirements

The requirements for awarding the ECO2L certificate to a tannery are:

  • calculation of the actual specific energy use of the company at the site
  • calculation of the site-specific, international standard “Best Energy Efficiency for Tanning” (BEET) for the type and quantity of production used = BEET comparative value
  • calculation of the percentage deviation of the company’s actual specific energy use from the BEET comparative value
  • the BEET comparative value may not be exceeded by more than 20 %.
  • even if it is not yet a requirement for the award: the determination of the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) based on the product mix of the audited tannery.

Aim of the tool / certification

The aim of the ECO2L 2.0 calculation programme is to determine a comparable CO2 footprint of the tannery. The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) for the tannery’s product mix is derived from this. The calculations are carried out within defined system limits and in accordance with the product category rules (PEFCR) defined in DIN EN 16887. This allows the CO2 emissions or CO2 emission equivalents to be determined as PCF for leather production in a comparable manner.

Download ECO₂L-Guideline

Requesting the ECO2L audit

Even if it seems a little complicated, your data is important, and you can be sure that it will be treated with the strictest confidence.

If you have read through our information and are interested in an audit or the analyses of the ECO2L tool, please download the request form. Please complete the first three pages and send the completed form to:
FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH – eco2l@filkfreiberg.de

Notes:

  • Step 1: The application form is not an order and does not commit you to anything. Once you have completed the form and sent it to FILK, it will be reviewed by FILK.
  • Step 2: You will receive an order confirmation after the review.
  • Step 3: You must sign, stamp, and return the order confirmation. Only then is the order deemed to have been placed.
  • Step 4: You will then receive an invoice.
  • Step 5: Once the invoice amount has been paid, FILK will commission an auditor.

Preparational Tool

“Good preparation is half the battle”. The better the company prepares for the audit, the easier the audit will be, and this ensures that the auditor doesn’t incur in additional costs. The preparational tool must be available to the auditor in good time before the audit so that any queries regarding the input of missing data can be discussed before the audit date. The costs for the audit are based on the auditor completing the preparation, the audit itself and the follow-up of the audit within one day. If the audit has to be interrupted due to a lack of data, or if the audit is delayed due to poor preparation, additional costs will incur, which should be avoided in the everyone’s interest.

Download Preparational Tool

Download Guideline

Lederfabrik Josef Heinen GmbH & Co. KG
Fussbachstraße 13-17
41844 Wegberg
Germany
www.heinen-leather.de
Auditing: December 2011 (valid until December 2014)
New Auditing: December 2014 (valid until December 2017)
New Auditing: January 2018 (valid until January 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until August 2022)
New Auditing: August 2022 (valid until August 2025)
 
 
BADER GmbH & Co. KG
Hans-Bader-Straße 2
industrial area north-west
89335 Ichenhausen
Germany
www.bader-leather.de
Auditing: February 2012 (valid until February 2015)
New Auditing: February 2015 (valid until Febrary 2018)
New Auditing: March 2018 (valid until March 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until March 2022)
New Auditing: February 2022 (valid until February 2025)
 
 
Wollsdorf-Leder Schmidt & Co. Ges. m. b. H
P. B. 27
8181 Wollsdorf
Austria
www.wollsdorf.com
Auditing: February 2012 (valid until February 2015)
New Auditing: February 2015 (valid until February 2018)
New Auditing: January 2018 (valid until January 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until January 2022)
 
 
HELLER-LEDER GmbH & Co. KG
P. B. 20
37622 Hehlen
Germany
www.heller-leder.com
Auditing: March 2012 (valid until March 2015)
New Auditing: April 2015 (valid until April 2018)
New Auditing: May 2018 (valid until May 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until May 2022)
New Auditing: February 2022 (valid until February 2025)
 
 
Bridge of Weir Leather Company Ltd.
Kilbarchan Road
Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire
PA11 3RL,Scotland
www.slgtechnology.com
Auditing: April 2012 (valid until April 2015)
New Auditing: March 2015 (valid until March 2018)
New Auditing: July 2018 (valid until July 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until July 2022)
 
 
Saigon TanTec Leather Ltd.
Lot M2-M3
Viet Huong 2 Industrial Park
An Tay Village
Ben Cat District
Binh Duong Province
Vietnam
www.liteleather.com
Auditing: August 2012 (valid until August 2015)
New Auditing: July 2015 (valid until July 2018)
New Auditing: June 2018 (valid until June 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until June 2022)
New Auditing: June 2022 (valid until June 2025)
 
 
Compania Arrendataria de Industrial Igualadina S.A.
Av. Angel Guimera 17/37
08700 Igualada, Barcelona
Spain
Auditing: January 2013 (valid until January 2015)
New Auditing: April 2016 (valid until April 2019)
New Auditing: April 2019 (valid until April 2022)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until October 2022)
New Auditing: October 2022 (valid until October 2025)
Heshan TanTec Leather Co. Ltd.
Unit 2, No. 1 Xing Li Road, Hecheng Town
Heshan City, Guangdong Province, 529727
P.R. China
Auditing: July 2013 (valid until July 2016)
New Auditing: July 2016 (valid until July 2019)
New Auditing: July 2019 (valid until July 2022)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until January 2023)
New Auditing: December 2022 (valid until December 2025)
 
 
Heshan Bestway Leather Product. Ltd.
Unit 2, No. 1 Xing Li Road, Hecheng Town
Heshan City, Guangdong Province, 529727
P.R. China
Auditing: July 2013 (valid until July 2016)
New Auditing: July 2016 (valid until July 2019)
New Auditing: July 2019 (valid until July 2022)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until January 2023)
New Auditing: December 2022 (valid until December 2025)
 
 
Bader Polska sp.z.o.o.
Ul Mostowa 1
59-700 Boleslawiec
Poland
Auditing: July 2013 (valid until July 2016)
New Auditing: June 2016 (valid until June 2019)
New Auditing: September 2019 (valid until September 2022)
New Auditing: March 2022 (valid until March 2025)
 
 
SÜDLEDER GmbH & Co. KG
Wetblue- und Crustfabrikation
P. B. 15 25
95111 Rehau
Germany
www.suedleder.de
Auditing: April 2014 (valid until April 2017)
New Auditing: April 2017 (valid until April 2020)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until October 2020)
New Auditing: August 2020 (valid until August 2023)
 
 
BADER Automotive Leather (Dalian) Co. Ltd
No 1&2 pant, Song Lan Industrial Park DDA
Dalian, PR China, 116600
China
Auditing: May 2014 (valid until May 2017)
Relocation of the factory
BADER China Ltd
No. 101 Tieshan West Road
DDA Dalian
PR China, 116600
Auditing: August 2017 (valid until August 2020)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until February 2022)
New Auditing: September 2022 (valid until September 2025)
 
 
Toryal S.A.
Ruta 1, km 34
80100 San Jose
Uruguay
Auditing: November 2014 (valid until November 2017)
New Auditing: November 2019 (valid until November 2022)
New Auditing: November 2022 (valid until November 2025)
 
 
BestHides GmbH
Eislebenstraße 4-6
87700 Memmingen
Germany
www.besthides.com
Auditing (hide conservation): January 2015 (valid until January 2018)
New Auditing (hide conservation): July 2018 (valid until July 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until July 2022)
 
 
CASAS I FILLS, S.A.
Ctra de l’Espelt km 2.2
08711 Odena, Barcelona
Spain
Auditing (hide conservation): January 2015 (valid until January 2018)
New Auditing (hide conservation): April 2016 (valid until April 2019)
New Auditing (hide conservation): April 2019 (valid until April 2022)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until October 2022)
New Auditing (hide conservation): October 2022 (valid until October 2025)
 
 
BestHides GmbH
Wasserbruck 3
84174 Eching-Weixerau
Germany
www.besthides.com
Auditing (hide conservation): February 2015 (valid until February 2018)
New Auditing (hide conservation): July 2018 (valid until July 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until July 2022)
Neu-Auditing (hide conservation): December 2023 (valid until 2025)
 
 
Richard Hoffmans GmbH & Co. KG
Fongern 20
41334 Nettetal
Germany
www.hoffmans-leder.de
Auditing: September 2015 (valid until September 2018)
New Auditing: November 2018 (valid until November 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until November 2022)
New Auditing: August 2022 (valid until August 2025)
 
 
BADER de Mexico S.en C.por A. de C.V.
Delta Plant
Calle Sigma No. 601-Fracc. Industrial Delta
León Gto. 37545
Mexico
Auditing: January 2016 (valid until January 2019)
New Auditing: February 2019 (valid until February 2022)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until August 2022)
New Auditing: November 2022 (valid until November 2025)
 
 
Couro Azul S.A.
(CARVALHOS Group)
Apartado 70, Ponte do Peral, Gouxaria
2384-909 Alcanena
Portugal
Auditing: November 2016 (valid until November 2019)
New Auditing: December 2019 (valid until December 2022)
 
 
ECCO Tannery Holland BV
Vierbundersweg 11
5107 NL Dongen
Netherlands
Auditing: July 2017 (valid until July 2020)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until January 2022)
New Auditing: July 2022 (valid until July 2025)
 
 
BADER SA (Pty) Ltd.
Stand 232, 3rd Street
GaRankuwa Industrial 0208
North West Province
South Africa
Auditing: March 2018 (valid until March 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until March 2022)
relocation of the factory
BADER South Africa (Pty) Ltd
95 Hendrik an Eck
Rosslyn, 0200
South Africa
Auditing: August 2022 (valid until August 2025)
 
 
ECCO Tannery (Xiamen) Co. Ltd.
Chengnan Industrial Zone, Tong’an District
361100 Xiamen, Fujian
PR China
Auditing: September 2018 (valid until September 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until September 2022)
New Auditing: September 2022 (valid until September 2025)
 
 
PT. ECCO Tannery Indonesia
JL. Raya Bligo 17, Candi,
Sidoarjo – 61271
Indonesia
Auditing: September 2018 (valid until September 2021)
Audit Extension Covid-19-related: (valid until September 2022)
New Auditing: September 2022 (valid until September 2025)
 
 
BADER International – Sucursal Uruguay
Ruta 1 (vieja) km 31.100
Ciudad del Plata
Departamento de San José
Uruguay
Auditing: November 2019 (valid until November 2022)
New Auditing: November 2022 (valid until November 2025)
 
 
ECCO Tannery Co., Ltd.
113/9 Moo 4 Bangprakru
Nakornluang Ayutthaya 13260

Thailand
Auditing: February 2020 (valid until February 2023)
New Auditing: February 2023 (valid until February 2026)

 
 
BADER (Asia) Co., Ltd.
2/9 Soi Chaklukya 4, Watchaklukya Rd.
Rayong 21150
Thailand
Auditing: February 2020 (valid until February 2023)
New Auditing: March 2023 (valid until March 2026)
 
 
Conceria INCAS S.P.A.
Via Enrico Mattei, 11
56022 Castelfranco di Sotto (PI)
Italy
Auditing: April 2024 (valid until April 2026)
 

Corporate Carbon Footprint
Certification for the hide industry

For the hides processing module in the leather industry supply chain (from the slaughterhouse to the dispatch of raw materials to a leather factory), we offer our own calculation programme for a site-specific carbon footprint in accordance with the ECO₂L protocol.

After a plausibility check, audited companies receive a certificate from the VDL with which they can document the CO₂ equivalents per tonne of raw material.

Download order form

Download sample certificate

Confidentiality agreement / Non-Disclosure Agreement

All data provided by the customer/auditee to VDL, FILK and the commissioned auditor within the scope of the ECO2L audit will be treated confidentially.

The customer/auditee agrees that their data may be used to complete the ECO2L tool as part of the further development of the tool and in aggregated form for general statements in connection with the ECO2L tool.

When transferring the data, it must be ensured that only previously agreed e-mail addresses are used. The completed Preparational Tool is sent from the customer to the assigned auditor. The assigned auditor transmits all data for the peer review to FILK. Once the peer review has been completed, all data is sent to VDL. The data will only be used and stored within the limits of the statements made in the non-disclosure agreement.

Download – Non-Disclosure Agreement/NDA

Current changes

  • Current changes / decisions regarding the ECO₂L tool
  • Adaptations or changes to the tool
  • Decisions of the ECO₂L Working Group
  • Decisions of the Advisory Board

Contact / Imprint

Application / accounting centre / peer reviewer:
FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH
Meißner Ring 1-5
09599 Freiberg
Tel: +49 3731 366-0
Fax: +49 3731 366-130
E-Mail: eco2l@filkfreiberg.de
Internet: www.filkfreiberg.de

Published by:
German Leather Federation (VDL)
Mainzer Landstraße 55
60329 Frankfurt am Main
Tel.: +49 69 97843141
Fax: +49 69 78800009
E-Mail: info@vdl-web.de
Internet: www.vdl-web.de

Authorized representative board:
Thomas Strebost (1st Chairman)
Thomas Heinen (1st Deputy Chairman)
Thomas Bee (2nd deputy)

Managing Director: Andreas Meyer

Register court: Local court Frankfurt am Main VR 4224

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