James Cropper is giving used jeans new life as beautiful paper for packaging with its new Rydal Apparel range.
Never before has worn denim been used in modern papermaking on a commercial scale, marking a significant contribution to the circular economy and James Cropper’s ongoing commitment to the war on waste through world class fibre blend innovation.
Rydal Apparel is comprised of 20% post-consumer denim fibre and 80% recycled fibre from sources such as used coffee cups. This not only makes the paper 100% recycled, but also globally recyclable.
As a cellulose based product, cotton-based paper can be recycled in standard waste streams, giving the fibre not only a second life, but also a potential third and fourth.
Rydal Apparel is launching with a 350gsm and 220gsm paper in Denim White, perfect for small boxes, garment tags, gift cards and retail carrier bags. The colour is an icy white with a very subtle blue tinge created by the visible denim fibre in the sheet which adds a unique finish.
Kate Gilpin, Packaging Project Leader at James Cropper says: “This launch is about giving forgotten fashion a new lease of life. Cotton is the purest form of natural cellulose, and is a renewable resource often used for its archival qualities in papermaking. Using cotton in paper harks back as far as Shakespeare’s first folio, which exists today because it was penned on paper made from cotton fibres. Cotton fibres are strong, yet soft, and make beautiful paper. Although modern papermaking relies heavily on pulps made from wood fibre, we are reviving the use of cotton rag in our portfolio as part of our ongoing commitment to fibre innovation and creating value from waste.”
