A £150,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales' Green Business Loan Scheme assists Frog Bikes in preparing to create frames and forks that will lower carbon emissions by 5.8 per cent per bike. Investing in 25 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium will save around 16kg of CO2 per 1kg of aluminium used, which equates to 28.8kg of CO2 per bike. It is stronger than fresh new aluminium, according to testing.
By 2030, Frog Bikes will have reduced its emissions by 50 per cent as a participant in the SME Climate Hub, a worldwide initiative to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to mitigate climate change and strengthen their business resilience. This commitment aligns with the United Nations' Race to Zero programmes.
"We are committed to producing our bikes in an environmentally conscious way so we are continually working to integrate sustainability into each aspect of the business. It's an ongoing process but we've made good progress by removing single use plastic from our packaging, improving the design of our bikes to reduce the materials required and installing solar panels," said Chief Frog, Jerry Lawson.
Frog Bikes, established in 2013 by Jerry and Shelley Lawson, gained significant recognition by circulating an image featuring Prince Louis on his balancing bike in April 2021. The impetus behind the establishment of Frog Bikes sprang from the Lawsons' challenge of procuring bicycles of superior quality and reduced weight for their offspring. In collaboration with Brunel University and bicycle engineer Dimitris Katsanis, a paradigm shift has been achieved in children's bike design.
Frog Bikes now employs 35 people at its 120,000-square-foot production facility at Mamhilad Park Estate near Pontypool. The company, which has a capacity of 400,000 motorcycles per year, was awarded the King's Award for Enterprise in April 2023.
“Our aim is to further reduce the CO2 emissions from each bike that we produce by replacing the aluminium with 100% recycled aluminium. This could result in savings of up to 864 tCO2e per annum and we would be one of the first bike manufacturers in the World to go this way but we need investment to make it happen. The loan from the Development Bank is enabling us to move at a pace that we couldn’t achieve on our own. It will make a real difference to our environment and our ability to foster a generation of healthy, active and happy children with positive, lifelong habits,” added Jerry Lawson.
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“With a real commitment to sustainability, Frog Bikes is well progressed on the journey to net zero and but the team recognises that more needs to be done to minimise the environmental impact of their operations. Extensive research and careful sourcing means that the production of component parts using 25% post -consumer recycled aluminium can now begin. It’s a big step forward and a great example of how funding from our Green Business Loan Scheme can help businesses of all sizes to reduce their carbon emissions,” mentioned Investment Executive David Knight.
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