Frog Bikes to Reduce Carbon Emissions with a £150,000 Investment in the Use of Recycled Aluminium

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Development Bank of Wales , 24th October 2023

A £150,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales’ Green Business Loan Scheme is helping children’s bike manufacturer Frog Bikes to gear up for the production of frames and forks that will reduce carbon emissions by 5.8% per bike.

The investment in 25% post -consumer recycled aluminium will save c.16kg of CO2 per 1kg of aluminium used, equivalent to 28.8kg of CO2 per bike. Testing shows that it is stronger than brand new aluminium.

Made famous by a photograph of Prince Louis on his balance bike in April 2021, Frog Bikes was set-up in 2013 Jerry and Shelley Lawson after they struggled to find good quality, light weight bikes for their own children. Together with Brunel University and bicycle engineer Dimitris Katsanis, they have reformed the thinking behind children’s bike design.

Jerry Lawson, Frog Bikes, with David Knight, Development Bank of Wales

Frog Bikes now has a 120,000 sq ft manufacturing unit at Mamhilad Park Estate near Pontypool where the company employs a team of 35. The company has capacity to build up to 400,000 bikes a year and was awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in April 2023.

As a member of the SME Climate Hub, a global initiative that empowers small to medium sized companies to take climate action and build more resilient businesses, Frog Bikes has committed to halving emissions by 2030 as part of the United Nations Race to Zero campaign.

Chief Frog, Jerry Lawson said:

“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.

“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.”

Investment Executive David Knight said:

“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.”

The Green Business Loan Scheme is funded by the Welsh Government and offers funding from £1,000 up to £1.5 million with discounted interest rates and patient capital to support businesses undertaking energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects. The Scheme also provides access to fully and part-funded consultancy support to carry out business specific energy audits. Limited companies, sole traders and partnerships can apply for funding through the Scheme subject to being based in Wales and trading for at least two years with at least one set of filed, annual accounts.

Mae benthyciad o £150,000 gan Gynllun Benthyciad Busnes Gwyrdd Banc Datblygu Cymru yn helpu'r gwneuthurwr beiciau plant Frog Bikes i baratoi ar gyfer cynhyrchu fframiau a ffyrc a fydd yn lleihau allyriadau carbon o 5.8% fesul beic.

Bydd y buddsoddiad mewn 25% o alwminiwm wedi'i ailgylchu ôl-ddefnyddiwr yn arbed tua 16kg o CO2 fesul 1kg o alwminiwm a ddefnyddir, sy'n cyfateb i 28.8kg o CO2 fesul beic. Mae profion yn dangos ei fod yn gryfach nag alwminiwm newydd sbon.

Ac yntau wedi cael ei wneud yn enwog gan ffotograff o'r Tywysog Louis ar ei feic cydbwysedd ym mis Ebrill 2021, sefydlwyd Frog Bikes yn 2013 Jerry a Shelley Lawson ar ôl iddynt gael trafferth dod o hyd i feiciau pwysau ysgafn o ansawdd da ar gyfer eu plant eu hunain. Ynghyd â Phrifysgol Brunel a'r peiriannydd beiciau Dimitris Katsanis, maent wedi diwygio'r meddylfryd y tu ôl i ddylunio beiciau plant.

Bellach mae gan Frog Bikes uned weithgynhyrchu 120,000 troedfedd sgwâr ar Stad Parc Mamhilad ger Pont-y-pŵl lle mae'r cwmni'n cyflogi tîm o 35. Mae gan y cwmni gapasiti i adeiladu hyd at 400,000 o feiciau'r flwyddyn a dyfarnwyd Gwobr y Brenin am Fenter iddo ym mis Ebrill 2023.

Fel aelod o’r SME Climate Hub, sef menter fyd-eang sy’n grymuso cwmnïau bach a chanolig i weithredu ar yr hinsawdd ac adeiladu busnesau mwy gwydn, mae Frog Bikes wedi ymrwymo i haneru allyriadau erbyn 2030 fel rhan o ymgyrch Râs i Gyrraedd Sero y Cenhedloedd Unedig.

Meddai’r Prif ‘Lyffant,’ Jerry Lawson:

“Rydym wedi ymrwymo i gynhyrchu ein beiciau mewn ffordd sy’n ymwybodol o’r amgylchedd felly rydym yn gweithio’n barhaus i integreiddio cynaliadwyedd ym mhob agwedd ar y busnes. Mae'n broses barhaus ond rydym wedi gwneud cynnydd da drwy dynnu plastig untro o'n pecynnau, gwella dyluniad ein beiciau i leihau'r deunyddiau sydd eu hangen a gosod paneli solar.

“Ein nod yw lleihau ymhellach yr allyriadau CO2 o bob beic yr ydym yn ei gynhyrchu trwy amnewid yr alwminiwm gydag alwminiwm wedi'i ailgylchu 100%. Gallai hyn arwain at arbedion o hyd at 864 tCO2e y flwyddyn a ni fyddai un o’r gwneuthurwyr beiciau cyntaf yn y Byd i ddilyn y trywydd hwn ond mae angen buddsoddiad arnom i wneud iddo ddigwydd. Mae’r benthyciad gan y Banc Datblygu yn ein galluogi i symud ar gyflymder na allem ei gyflawni ar ein pen ein hunain. Bydd yn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i’n hamgylchedd a’n gallu i feithrin cenhedlaeth o blant iach, egnïol a hapus gydag arferion cadarnhaol, gydol oes.”

Dywedodd y Swyddog Buddsoddi, David Knight:

“Gydag ymrwymiad gwirioneddol i gynaliadwyedd, mae Frog Bikes wedi symud ymlaen yn dda ar y daith tuag at sero net, ond mae’r tîm yn cydnabod bod angen gwneud mwy i leihau effaith amgylcheddol eu gweithrediadau.

“Mae ymchwil helaeth a chyrchu gofalus yn golygu y gall y gwaith o gynhyrchu cydrannau gan ddefnyddio 25% o alwminiwm wedi'i ailgylchu ôl-ddefnyddiwr ddechrau nawr. Mae’n gam mawr ymlaen ac yn enghraifft wych o sut y gall cyllid o’n Cynllun Benthyciadau Busnes Gwyrdd helpu busnesau o bob maint i leihau eu hallyriadau carbon.”

Ariennir y Cynllun Benthyciadau Busnes Gwyrdd gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac mae’n cynnig cyllid o £1,000 hyd at £1.5 miliwn gyda chyfraddau llog gostyngol a chyfalaf amyneddgar i gefnogi busnesau sy’n ymgymryd â phrosiectau effeithlonrwydd ynni a datgarboneiddio. Mae'r Cynllun hefyd yn darparu mynediad at gymorth ymgynghorol wedi'i ariannu'n llawn ac yn rhannol i gynnal archwiliadau ynni penodol i fusnes. Gall cwmnïau cyfyngedig, masnachwyr unigol a phartneriaethau wneud cais am gyllid drwy’r Cynllun yn amodol ar fod wedi’u lleoli yng Nghymru ac yn masnachu am o leiaf dwy flynedd gydag o leiaf un set o gyfrifon blynyddol wedi’u ffeilio.