James Cropper creates packaging paper from old jeans to slash textile waste

01 Jul 2022 --- James Cropper is launching a line of recycled paper made from 20% used denim fibers and 80% recycled fibers from coffee cups. Branded Rydal Apparel, the cotton-based paper may be recycled in common waste streams, potentially giving the fiber a third and fourth life. 

The launch of Rydal Apparel is the latest innovation using James Cropper’s FibreBlend Upcycled Technology and is targeted at global waste issues, Kate Gilpin, the company’s packaging project leader, tells PackagingInsights. “With 8 billion pairs of jeans produced globally each year, fashion’s favorite staple contributes significantly to the textile waste problem.”

The majority of worn clothing is sent to incineration or landfill, while 12% is recycled for insulation or mattresses, and less than 1% is used to make new products. James Cropper believes that the upcycling of waste denim into paper opens up the opportunity for these cotton textile fibers to be recycled repeatedly in standard paper waste stream.

Eight billion pairs of jeans are produced globally each year, which contributes greatly to the textile waste problem.“Cotton fibers are strong, yet soft, and make beautiful paper. Although modern papermaking relies heavily on pulps made from wood fiber, we are reviving the use of cotton rag in our portfolio as part of our ongoing commitment to fiber innovation and creating value from waste,” highlights Gilpin.

Denim recycling in the industry
In an effort to transition to a more circular economy, James Cropper upcycles fiber and repurposes textile waste as it believes that recycling is important in the entire paper lifecycle. “Paper is easily recycled, and recycled far more in reality than any other recyclable material,” explains Gilpin.

“So for us, it makes sense to look to recycle wood-based or alternative fibers within papermaking, as long as the fiber and resulting product are of equal or higher quality to meet the end-use requirements. In the case of Rydal Apparel, the end requirement is premium paper for packaging.”

Retailing of Rydal Apparel
Regarding the commercialization of this Rydal Apparel packaging paper, Gilpin explains that the company has just launched the product to the market and showcased it at recent packaging exhibitions.

“While we are in initial discussions with some fashion and fragrance brands about the product, it has not yet been specified for new retail packaging. The product is stocked in quantities suitable for prototyping, and can be made to order for production quantities.”

Rydal Apparel’s Denim White is available in 350gsm and 220gsm paper and is ideal for small boxes, apparel tags, gift cards, and retail carrier bags. Because there are visible denim fibers in the sheets, the color is an icy white with a very faint blue tint that gives it a distinctive look.Rydal Apparel paper is made from 20% used denim fibers and 80% recycled fibers.

Development challenges
The development of Rydal Apparel began amid the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 when the James Cropper technical teams were working from home. Adapting to the new ways of working, Gilpin says, was a very testing part of the development.

However, Gilpin explains that the use of cotton fibers in papermaking was not new to the company, so they knew that using recycled cotton was possible. James Cropper currently uses cotton fibers to make Museum quality conservation boards, as cotton is one of the purest forms of natural cellulose and a valuable renewable resource for archival applications.

“Our research team is always on the lookout for new fiber sources,” Gilpin says, “so working with the fashion industry and partners we were aware of technologies to develop pulps from used textiles for use within the textile industry. The only difference is that we are using this technology to make paper.”

The R&D team had to access the machines and monitor trials remotely and liaised via video calls and team messaging. Gilpin expresses her amazement at the outcome of the team’s work, and adds “it goes to show that with great communication anything is possible.”

By Mieke Meintjes