James Cropper unveils Rydal Eco to mark new era of sustainable innovation


James Cropper, a global market leader in Paper & Packaging and Advanced Materials, has set new quality standards for recycled materials with the release of Rydal Eco, a revolutionary sustainable paper innovation.
Rydal Eco is an uncoated board, made entirely from recycled paper fibres, that performs like a coated board. It delivers a superb printing surface with whiteness levels equivalent to virgin fibre material. This provides sharper print, more vivid colours, cleaner die-cutting, and better registration when using finishing techniques such as varnishing and debossing – and all of this is achieved without felling a single new tree.
Designed with luxury goods in mind, Rydal Eco offers incredible versatility to both brands and converters. Its luxurious tactile feel makes it ideal for a wide range of applications, from cosmetics, and wines to fragrance packaging, while its precision-engineered converting characteristics mean it is compatible with diverse production techniques including lithography, silk screen printing, die stamping, laser cutting, foil blocking, and more.
Gareth Fisher, Sales Director at James Cropper hailed the launch, saying, “This is the latest step in our 180-year commitment to asking the question: ‘What if?’ In 1845, it was ‘what if we bought a mill?’ In 1921, it was ‘what if we installed a steam turbine to power our business and the surrounding village?’ And today, it’s ‘what if we combined the tactility of recycled fibre with the print and finishing quality of virgin fibre? What if uncoated paper could perform like coated paper?’ The answer to both of those questions is Rydal Eco, a transformative sustainable solution for converters.
“We’ve never been afraid to break new ground in the pursuit of excellence to ensure we deliver the highest quality materials to our customers. We’re not interested in business-as-usual materials. We want to make paper and moulded fibre better, raising the bar for the entire industry. We’re proud to be a company that asks, ‘what if?’ And we’ll continue to dream big and push the boundaries of paper production and materials.”
Rydal Eco is produced in alignment with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), supporting companies looking to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. Other products in the Rydal packaging collection make use of James Cropper’s CupCycling® technology, which upcycles used coffee cups into premium packaging, as part of the company’s mission to lead the way in sustainable material development. James Cropper is renowned for its innovative use of fibre recovered from used coffee cups, cup offcuts, worn denim, office waste, and other industrial sources.
Photo: James Cropper