Jellycat Responsible Sourcing
Since our establishment in 1999, Jellycat has embedded responsible sourcing practices into our supplier and manufacturing partnerships.
Jellycat recognises that our suppliers and their manufacturing units play a key role in helping us deliver luxury, original and innovative designs to our fans globally. It’s important to Jellycat that our products are made with high-quality materials and components and are manufactured in an ethical manner in safe working environments.
Supplier Partners
We work with a small number of specialist suppliers and manufacturers, some of whom have been part of our journey since the beginning. We invest in and support development in manufacturing sites and fabric mills as we strongly believe that long term relationships build sustainable businesses for all parties.
Supplier Selection
Our aim is to ensure the rights and well-being of workers are respected and protected throughout our supply chain. We strive to work with suppliers who share our commitment and who agree to work with us in a transparent way.
Each supplier is selected carefully and undergoes a detailed review, with visits from Jellycat staff as well as 3rd party social compliance audits before Jellycat commits to production orders.
International Legislation
Jellycat expects all suppliers to work with them to ensure compliance with the requirements of the following legislation:
- UK Modern Slavery Act
- Germany Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chain Act (LkSG)
- California Transparency in Supply Chains Act
- Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act for Australia
- Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act
- EU Forced Labour Regulation (coming into effect in 2025/2026)
This list is non-exhaustive and we update regularly whenever new legislation or requirements are published.
Code of Conduct
We have an established Jellycat Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice (JCRSCOP) including the Supplier Code of Conduct which we expect all our suppliers and their manufacturing sites to follow in all sourcing locations.
The Supplier Code of Conduct (SCOC) is based on the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), internationally recognised ethical trading codes and requirements within Modern Slavery and Supply Chain Transparency regulations.
In addition to these requirements, suppliers and manufacturers are expected to comply with relevant national and local laws. If there is any conflict between these laws and the Jellycat SCOC, the standard that provides the greatest protection should be followed.
We only accept production in manufacturing units which have been assessed independently for compliance to these requirements
Suppliers are provided with a detailed set of requirements and guidance covering the following areas:
1) Employment is freely chosen - No forced labour or modern slavery
2) Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
3) Working conditions are safe and hygienic
4) Child labour shall not be used
5) Legal / Living wages are paid
6) Working hours are not excessive
7) No discrimination is practised
8) Regular employment is provided
9) No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
10) Accommodation, canteen and childcare Facilities (where provided) are safe and hygienic
11) Environmental impacts are managed and reduced
12) Bribery and corruption are prohibited
Audit & Remediation
3rd Party Audits
We recognise that 3rd party audits give a valuable snapshot in time, a benchmark review of our supplier partners. All our supplier partners take ownership for their own independent 3rd party audits on an annual basis. This commitment is a key part of their understanding of their responsibilities to good working conditions for all their workers.
Remediation
When issues are found during audits, we are committed to working with our suppliers to rectify any issues identified, establishing remedies which resolve the issue and prevent future re-occurrence. This may include support from 3rd parties where beneficial or from Jellycat staff.
We have a zero-tolerance policy to child labour, forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery, double bookkeeping and bribery. If any of these issues are found in initial or regular audits, Jellycat will hold all shipments and work with the supplier to support any individuals affected. These corrections must be completed before production can continue.
Development
By identifying examples of best practice, we are able to share ideas to help all our suppliers improve their processes. In 2024 we have increased the Jellycat team members focused on CSR within our manufacturing base who regularly visit our suppliers during production and actively review working
conditions outside the audit windows.
We arrange development programmes with our 3rd party partners to review and enhance processes to embed strong systems with the aim of reducing and preventing non-compliances with our code of conduct.
Supplier Engagement
We encourage our suppliers to work on continuous improvement programmes and support them through regular visits by Jellycat staff, sharing learnings and best practice examples as well as third party support for training and system improvement.
Our Jellycat teams are present in our manufacturing units daily, managing both production quality and overview of processes.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Jellycat have partnered with LRQA to carry out in depth assessments of all suppliers annually in addition to the audit programme. The findings of these assessments, coupled with the audits and Jellycat team observations from daily interactions, assist us in building programmes to support development within our suppliers and their manufacturing units, including improvements in productivity which help to manage working hours and enhance workers’ rights.
Product Compliance
Jellycat products are predominantly governed by the strict safety requirements applicable to toys including UK Toy Safety Regulations, EU toy Safety Directive, US CPSIA and Health Canada's Safety Requirements for Children's Toys. All our products are tested in full to EN71, ASTM F-963, ISO 8124 and GB 6675.
In accordance with the safety requirements set out in the regulations for toys, all our products are tested as suitable for babies and young children. We provide recommended age information where appropriate for longer pile fabrics or larger items.
Our Jellycat construction, safety and performance requirements are set at a higher level that than the legal standards. All our products are independently assessed and tested annually at accredited 3rd party test laboratories.
Sustainability & Environment
Durability
Every Jellycat design is designed to be a cherished companion for many years. When products are designed and constructed to be durable, we know this contributes to environmental sustainability.
Our products undergo quality assessments at every stage during development and manufacture to ensure they meet both the strict safety requirements but also our Jellycat enhanced quality requirements. This includes assessment of the production process, construction reviews and selection of materials that we know will meet an extended product lifespan.
Washing and care of Jellycat products
The majority of our Jellycat designs can be machine washed in a domestic washing machine on a regular wash and spin cycle on a maximum 30°C wash temperature.
Larger items that may not fit in a domestic washing machine can be hand washed or sponge cleaned.
Items with structural elements or containing musical chips should not be immersed in water but can be surfaced washed with a damp cloth.
Restricted Chemicals
Jellycat carries out regular testing all fabrics for chemicals restricted under REACH, Toy Safety Directive/Regulations, California Prop 65, CPSIA and other market regulations. We ensure that the levels tested are suitable from birth regardless of recommended age of the products.
We actively monitor for new restrictions which are under development as well as consumer-led chemicals of concern.
Raw Materials
We use premium quality fabrics, specially made to order for Jellycat. The main fabrics used in our products are manufactured by a small number of specialist fabric mills using Oekotex-100 compliant dyestuffs.
We also assess our fabrics for performance and durability to make sure they meet our enhanced quality standards.
The majority of Jellycat products are manufactured using polyester. We are continuing to investigate how to increase use of recycled polyester, looking at suitable recycled raw material sources, while ensuring that fabrics meet quality, chemical and safety requirements.
A small number of our products contain cotton or polyester cotton blend. We follow the restrictions in place in the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act 2022 and where possible are moving to organic cotton options with full traceability of supply chain.
Our stuffing fibre and plastic beans are sourced from specialist suppliers and all our embroidery threads, sewing threads and ribbons are regularly tested to ensure they also comply with restrictions on chemicals and that they will meet our quality standards.
Waste Reduction
Working with our main fabric suppliers and our production partners, we consistently review raw materials usage to reduce wastage to a minimum. Computer guided laser fabric cutting maximise fabric usage and minimise over production of these materials.
Jellycat colleagues are in our manufacturing sites on a daily basis, working with the production teams to reduce the amount of rejected items by focusing on good manufacturing principles and strong quality control. We aim to ensure our production wastage is minimised, and that the Jellycat quality requirements are consistently applied to meet our commitment to durable products.
Any products which are rejected are reworked, used for quality training or donated to our charitable partners.
Reducing Environmental Impact
Single-Use Plastic:
We have removed single use plastic bags and tags across all our Jellycat ranges.
Our delivery bags are produced using recycled materials and can be recycled in facilities handling plastic bags and film. storage bags being product from recycled materials
Paper & Card:
Jellycat only source FSC certified or FSC recycled paper and card to use in our products ensuring the timber used only comes from well managed forests.
