James Cropper shines light on potential of paper cup recycling at Independent Paper Show

James Cropper, a global market leader in advanced materials and paper products, will highlight the unlimited potential offered by paper cups when it attends the Independent Paper Show in London later this June.

The legendary paper product innovator, which celebrates its 180^th anniversary this year, will supply its recycled paper cups from its stand. The cups, printed in James Cropper’s trademark electric green in collaboration with Huhtamäki, are produced using James Cropper’s game-changing CupCycling^© technology, a world-first system that upcycles up to 700 million used coffee cups per year into premium paper.

These cups will be accompanied by a spectrum of coloured swatches of Vanguard paper, a premium uncoated paper made using 40% upcycled material sourced through CupCycling^©. Each sheet of Vanguard contains roughly half a cup.

James Cropper will demonstrate a novel use of material recovered from paper cups, bringing the recycling journey to life by using it to print a new children’s book titled Little Coffee Cup’s Big Surprise. The book’s author, Hayley Slack, will attend the event to discuss her creative journey throughout the project.

The materials have also been used as part of a collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, which saw design students develop innovative lighting concepts using advanced paper materials and Moulded Fibre solutions as part of a contest. The winner, Jonathan Bairnes, will also be present on the stand to discuss his innovation, the Eclipsa table lamp. Inspired by East Asian culture, the lamp uses two different paper materials to offer hard and soft lighting in an elegant, cylindrical, lantern-like design.

“It’s a privilege for us to be joined by Jonathan and Hayley,” added Gareth. “This show is all about collaboration, so we’re looking forward to inspiring attendees and being inspired by industry colleagues in return. There’s no better way for us to do that than to team up with these bright young creatives who are using our materials to make waves in their respective fields. They are the future lifeblood of our industry, and we want to encourage as many young professionals as possible to embark on their own journeys with paper.”