JAMES Cropper has again won the Sustainable Innovation Award at Paris Packaging Week for its work with champagne house Maison Perrier-Jouët.
Securing its second consecutive victory in the sustainability category, the papermaker also clinched the trophy last year for its collaboration with Dom Ruinart.
James Cropper and Maison Perrier-Jouët ‘challenged the norms of luxury’ with the Belle Epoque Cocoon: an eco-designed gift box that combines beauty and environmental commitment. It was created for Maison Perrier-Jouët’s vintage cuvées Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé.
Crafted from paper pulp and vine shoots, the Belle Epoque Cocoon is described as 93% lighter than the previous gift box and doesn’t include any varnish or glue. It is designed with only two natural materials: paper pulp prepared from FSC-approved forests and vine shoots from France. Further building on the green credentials is the 100% renewable energy used in James Cropper’s luxury moulded packaging production, with the majority of power generated on site by its own solar and hydro plants.
The vine shoot inclusions are recovered after pruning at the end of winter, ensuring this naturally derived agri-fibre is given a second life. The upcycled vine shoots also provide a coloured speckled aesthetic to the finished gift box.
James Cropper said the award marks the start of a new year following a ‘transformational’ period for the business, which saw the group’s Speciality Paper business combine with COLOURFORM, the moulded pulp innovation to form the new Paper Products division, now led by MD Richard Bracewell.
Richard Bracewell said, “We’re thrilled to kick off 2024 with industry recognition at this year’s Paris Packaging Week which has showcased our ground-breaking collaboration with Maison Perrier-Jouët and reaffirmed our place in the luxury sustainable packaging space. The sustainability credentials of this project challenge and redefine the traditional codes of luxury packaging, perfectly marrying prestige and beauty with environmental consciousness.”
