Sustainable Packaging Report: The Case For Paper

Change will be needed across the board to ensure a plastic packaging-free future, according to new Soil Association Certification report.

Retailers and manufacturers are already urged to move to sustainably-produced paper-based packaging where they can, and the COVID-19 pandemic has added an entirely new dimension of new health concerns to this very important issue.

Sustainable Packaging from James Cropper

The demand for sustainable packaging has only grown stronger – a recent survey of more than 1,000 UK adults by the Grocer revealed that environmentally-friendly packaging remains a priority for people. While 42% of respondents to the survey preferred bagless deliveries for instance, a far more substantial 64% said they would prefer paper bags.

The report shows that FSC® and/or PEFC™ certifications are the only way to ensure the paper packaging is not a product of deforestation or poor forestry practices. It highlights the innovations made in this arena, as well as the some of the certified manufacturers and the brands and retailers leading the way including James Cropper and our collaboration with Selfridges.

Selfridges are committed to using paper from recycled or FSC certified sources where possible so approached manufacturer, James Cropper, who created a process that upcycles its staff’s waste coffee cups to create elements of its iconic yellow Kraft shopping bags in a completely unique closed-loop recycling solution.

The recycled pulp from the non-kerbside recyclable cups CupCycling now makes up 20% of the brand’s shopping bags, combined with paper taken from FSC certified responsibly managed forestry sources, which reduces the amount of virgin material used in their packaging and increases their waste recycling rate.

The Selfridges Product – From beans to bags. Creating an upcycled product with a closed-loop waste cycle.

The current makeup of the shopping bags replaces a 100% virgin paper alternative. Each bag displays the CupCycling logo, verifying that the waste fibre has been processed through our recycling facility. After use, the bags can then be recycled in the standard paper waste stream.

James Cropper produces uncoated paper products, all manufactured without the addition of chemicals, which would present a hazard in use, or impair the ability to be recycled.

We encourage paper products to be recycled at the end-of-life stage to keep this valuable resource in the supply chain. James Cropper provide clients with a life cycle analysis, showing the environmental impact of the various fibre options available to them.