We've won the King’s Award for Sustainable Development!

We were never sure if brown toilet paper would take off. We certainly didn’t expect our simple sustainable processes to earn a nod from royalty. 

So we are proud beyond words to share that Naked Paper has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.

The King’s Award for Enterprise is the highest official UK recognition for business excellence. As a company committed to sustainable manufacture, the Sustainable Development award is our Holy Grail.

Out of thousands of businesses considered across the UK, only 27 companies were selected in 2025 to receive this prestigious award. We’re one of them. This summer, we’ll be heading to Windsor Castle for a royal reception with His Majesty the King.

We’re still pinching ourselves. How did we get here?

Milestones that matter

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, formerly the Queen’s Awards, are the UK’s most prestigious business honours. Established 59 years ago, these awards recognise companies that lead the way in innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity.

The award for Sustainable Development is granted to companies that have made sustainability an essential part of their organisation and can demonstrate proven positive outcomes as a result.

Achieving a King’s Award isn’t just a celebration of where we are today. It’s a nod to our whole story; the steps we’ve taken so far, and how we’re laying the foundations to grow  sustainably in future.

Here are some of the milestones that helped make a winning application.

1. An industry-leading partnership

Our first rolls, like many eco rolls sold in the UK, were made in China from bamboo. We loved our bleach-free products but we knew there was room for improvement.

In 2021, we began manufacturing with our partner LC Paper, a pioneering tissue mill that has stood on the same site in Spain since 1881. Today, the mill is run by Pau Vila, a fifth-generation paper maker.

LC Paper shares our commitment to sustainability. Working closely with their team has allowed us to implement huge changes to reduce the impact of our products; from integrating electrified rail into our transport network, to finding natural vegan adhesives for our rolls, to manufacturing all of our products with local sources of renewable energy and no fossil fuels.

2. The UK’s first unbleached recycled toilet paper

By 2023, after three years in business, we were ready to expand our range. We had always wanted to offer recycled products alongside our bamboo options, but our bleach-free commitment made it a challenge.

Standard recycled rolls are made from printed office paper and brochures, which must be heavily bleached to avoid a final product that comes out an unappealing grey colour. We solved the grey dilemma by using cardboard waste and paper packaging instead of the standard office paper. These raw materials are naturally unbleached, giving our finished recycled rolls their signature warm brown shade, with no murky grey in sight.

3. Climate labelling and transparency

Having gone to the effort of building a more sustainable business, we knew we had to communicate our impact clearly and honestly.

That’s why we created the most detailed, transparent documentation of our environmental credentials we’ve ever seen: our Green Credentials page. It meets the rigorous standards of the UK’s Green Claims Code and provides all of the evidence from our claims.

On this page you’ll find our research into the impact of harsh chemicals in standard tissue products, certifications showing our products are free from “forever chemicals”, and even data on the distance waste cardboard and packing paper travels to our recycling centre.

We back up our claims on our boxes as well. In 2024, we became the UK’s first toilet paper company to publish our climate footprint directly on our packaging. As far as we know, we’re still the only toilet paper company doing this – by making the first move we hope to inspire others to follow suit.

A recognition that means the world

This nod from His Majesty comes with a lasting legacy: winners may use the King’s Awards emblem for the next five years.

We’ll be delighted to display the emblem on our boxes and our website, but the most meaningful part for us is the recognition it represents.

Building a genuinely sustainable business – without greenwashing our products or offsetting our impact – has come with its fair share of highs and lows. Achieving this most prestigious award sets a new high bar. As our founder Leila puts it:

“We’re beyond thrilled that our efforts to make our products more sustainable have been recognised with a King’s Award. Toilet paper isn’t the most attention-grabbing product, so receiving this honour from His Majesty is an incredibly proud moment for us. It’s a great reminder that meaningful change can begin in the most ordinary places, and that sustainable choices really do matter.”

Looking ahead

Today, we serve over 170,000 customers across the UK, and in the first few months of 2025, we’ve expanded to reach customers in the EU as well.

We’ve always been determined to show that everyday essentials can be made more sustainably without sacrificing quality, affordability, or the resilience of our business.

Receiving the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development makes us more determined than ever. As we continue to grow, we commit to innovating responsibly, challenging industry norms, and putting a more sustainable standard into people’s hands every day – in the humble form of a toilet roll.

For everyone who’s supported us so far: thank you.

Curious to try the products that are taking us all the way to Windsor Castle?