Collaborating with art supplier Seawhite of Brighton, Kendal-based James Cropper used its CupCycling method to create the 140gsm stock by upcycling single-use coffee cups. Around 2.5 billion such cups are thrown away in the UK each year and around 80% of materials used in the new stock are recycled.
Seawhite has long partnered with James Cropper, which supplies the stationery vendor’s cartridge paper, and the development of the new sketch pads builds on that parternship.
James Cropper market sector manager Richard Burnett said: "Strengthening our 15-year legacy with an organisation so firmly grounded in the creative industries aligns with our own commitment to produce beautiful papers that fuel creativity.
“To date, we have recycled over 100 million coffee cups at our CupCycling facility, however we have the capacity to convert up to 500 million per year into papers and packaging.
“Partnerships with companies such as Seawhite of Brighton prove that circular design has a firm place and presents a viable option in many industries.”
University of the Arts London, the Eden Project and Hobbycraft are among the businesses and institutions that have already confirmed as stockists of the pads.
Last month, James Cropper posted a “positive” trading update following its Q1 results, with profitable trading and a year-on-year 4% gain in sales for the quarter. This followed a tough 2018/19 period in which record sales of £101.1m were offset by a fall in pre-tax profit from £4.5m to £2.6m.
