Ethical children’s clothing brand Frugi has received two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. Frugi has been recognised with awards for both Sustainable Development and International Trade. It is also one of only four companies to achieve a double Award this year.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses, recognising and encouraging outstanding achievements.
This year saw a refocusing of the Sustainable Development category by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. Leaders in the field were urged to place sustainability at the heart of their business, with Frugi proud to have been recognised for its continuous efforts. Frugi’s aim is to show the clothing industry that you can run a successful business whilst also being sustainable and ethical.
From the onset, ethical children’s clothing label Frugi has put the planet and people first.
The brand is certified by GOTS (Global Textile Standard), which ensures its processes have a low impact on the environment. Frugi clothing also uses organic cotton, which in its very nature is better for the environment. There are many measurable environmental benefits to growing organic cotton compared to conventional cotton. One being that organic cotton uses 62% less energy than conventional cotton as no fertilisers feature in the production process.
As part of Frugi’s GOTS certification and production of organic cotton, it produces clothing using 71% less water than conventional cotton. The water pollution impact of organic cotton is 98% less than non-organic cotton production, with no nasties injected back into the eco-system.
Frugi’s ethics and sustainability reach throughout its team and practices; from the organic cotton farms through to the factories it works with.
The Frugi team works closely with its manufacturers, visiting regularly to ensure everyone adheres to the Frugi Code of Conduct. There is also a dedicated Green Committee.
Made up of Frugi employees, the committee meets regularly to discuss all things eco at Frugi HQ. The aims and objectives of the committee are to lead the way in environmental and business sustainability and to strengthen and reinforce Frugi’s business values.
At Frugi, sustainability links to ethics. For this reason, it donates 1% of its annual turnover to children’s and environmental charities. So far, Frugi has donated over £580,000 to charity through its Little Clothes BIG Change project.
This is the second time that Frugi has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade.
The brand first won the prestigious award back in 2014. It has continued to achieve notable growth overseas, exporting products directly to 72 international markets last year. This is in addition to working with 678 retailers across 34 countries. The largest markets of Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the USA and Ireland all continue to see strong year-on-year growth.
Commenting is Frugi CEO, Hugo Adams. “Ever since Frugi was founded, it has been our mission to show the world that you can create a successful brand whilst upholding strong ethical and environmental values.
“To achieve two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and International Trade is a great endorsement of all that we’ve achieved with our environmental commitments and also our drive and passion to take these principles global.
“Being one of only four companies to achieve a double Award this year is fantastic recognition of the very hard work and dedication from all the team that makes our business truly unique.”
Planet Frugi is a dedicated area of the brand’s website that highlights Frugi’s sustainability and ethical efforts. Click here to view.
