PAPERMAKER James Cropper is giving used jeans a new lease of life as paper for packaging with its new Rydal Apparel range.
The firm said that never before has worn denim been used in papermaking.
As part of James Cropper’s Rydal range of recycled papers, Rydal Apparel is comprised of 20% post-consumer denim fibre and 80% recycled fibre from sources such as used coffee cups. This, the business explained, makes the paper 100% recycled and 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.
The launch of Rydal Apparel is the latest product using James Cropper’s FibreBlend Upcycled Technology.
Kate Gilpin, packaging project leader at James Cropper, said, “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.”
Rydal Apparel is launching with a 350gsm and 220gsm paper in Denim White, described as ‘perfect’ for small boxes, garment tags, gift cards and retail carrier bags. The colour is an ‘icy white’ with a blue tinge created by the visible denim fibre in the sheet.
The pulp used to produce Rydal Apparel paper is created through technology which allows the cotton to be dissolved and turned into pulp. This process is said to offer the potential to create fibre of equal or higher quality with the properties demanded for premium paper for packaging.
Kate Gilpin added, “Our first Rydal Apparel offer is the start of an exciting journey. In the future we’re looking to offer customers the use of this fibre for bespoke shades, in a variety of weights.
“The development of Rydal Apparel began in the midst of the first Coronavirus lockdown in 2020 while our technical teams were working from home. This is a perfect demonstration of James Cropper’s culture for continual innovation through our FibreBlend Upcycled Technology.
