14 June 2021. James Cropper, one of the world’s most innovative papermakers, has helped Shredhouse, manufacturers of decorative and protective packaging for the gift market, fulfil demand in the wake of the global pandemic.

Shredhouse uses James Cropper’s world-class coloured paper products to produce shredded paper packaging for a range of market sectors including health and beauty, food and drink, crafts and toys and gifts.

Shredhouse, based in Wiltshire, has been well positioned to benefit from the huge shift towards e-commerce sales, and the ever increasing demand for sustainable choices for protective product transit cushioning, as a result of the global pandemic.

With sustainability at the core of James Cropper, the custom made papers supplied to Shredhouse are all FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, which means the paper products have come from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. Shredded paper options include local UK sources of pre- and post-consumer recycled fibre processed via James Cropper’s CupCycling innovation, the world’s first recycling process of its kind dedicated to upcycling take-away coffee cups.

Stefan Pryor, Senior Product Manager for Packaging, says: “The pandemic has fuelled the growth of online retail for many brands which has made the online marketplace incredibly competitive. Brands are increasingly recognising the importance of offering customers a feelgood moment during the unboxing of their online orders but equally, consumers are looking to buy more responsibly so the two things need to work together.

“Whilst the process of shredding paper may appear to be relatively straight-forward, it generates a considerable amount of friction and heat, and so the custom made papers we supply are designed with the application in mind. The chemistry has been carefully considered and our technical team have worked with Shredhouse to ensure that they run trouble-free through the process."

With its on-site colour lab, James Cropper has the capability and the technology to produce or recreate any colour as required. For example, to match corporate branding.

Jon Watton, Business Development Manager for Shredhouse, says: “James Cropper’s expertise and capabilities have been instrumental in helping us fulfil the increased demand for shredded and protective packaging. The pandemic has accelerated some of the major gift packaging trends of the past few years, including a noticeable emphasis on the environmental impact of gift packaging.

“We hope that these efforts towards responsible consumerism will stay and we can continue to work with James Cropper to help brands deliver an experience which meets the needs of the consumer and the planet.”

Stuart Pritchard, Packaging Insight