Colourform

Colourform bottle packaging / Source: James Cropper

AfricaAnti-MicrobialAsiaBeautyColourformEuropeFood & BeverageLow-CarbonMoulded FibreNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingPaperRecyclableRecycledSouth America

WHAT WE SAY:

Most plastic packaging is only used once but can remain in the environment for hundreds of years. That’s a lot of impact for just a brief period of use.

So, James Cropper – a British papermaker with a history stretching to back to 1845 – is stepping in to challenge plastic’s dominance with its moulded pulp solution, Colourform. The UK company has drawn upon over a century of expertise to create a premium product which is customisable, renewable and recyclable. And did we mention James Cropper has its own recycling facility which turns brand’s coffee cups into new paper products? With design, technology and circularity rolled into one, it’s no wonder the likes of Selfridges, Hallmark, Burberry and Lancôme are lining up to use Colourform. You can sign us up too, we’re sold.

Colourform

WHAT IS COLOURFORM?

Colourform is the thermoformed Moulded Fibre packaging manufactured by legacy papermaker James Cropper.
Created with the circular economy in mind, Colourform is a plastic-free, mono-material, 100% kerbside recyclable product.
All natural fibres used to make Colourform are sourced from FSC and PEFC-certified forests, while recycled content comes from the company’s CupCycling facility, which takes used Paper coffee cups from supply chain partners including McDonald’s and Costa and turns them into paper products. James Cropper's recycling plant has the capacity to recycle 500 million coffee cups every year.
As thermoforming is based on the use of custom-made moulds, Colourform is a bespoke offering. Applications include perfume bottles, clamshell cases, jewellery boxes, wine bottle sleeves, makeup cases and bottle toppers. Key markets for the packaging are wines and spirits, fragrances and beauty, with brand partners including Maison Ruinart, Lancôme and Dries Van Noten.
The product name derives from James Cropper’s on-site colour lab. The brand has the capability to produce or recreate any colour, further extending the bespoke nature of this near-infinitely customisable packaging.
All products are made in James Cropper’s Burneside Mills factory, located near the English Lake District.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Anti-Microbial
Low-Carbon
Recyclable
Recycled

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Commercially Available

DIVE DEEPER:

Between 36% and 40% of all plastics produced are used for packaging. It’s a higher percentage than the construction, automotive and electrical industries combined, and it’s generally the briefest use case too.
Luxury brands invest heavily in experimental, creative packaging which is meant to portray quality, but the quest to create a premium look often leads to the use of bonded materials, metallics and coatings that are near-impossible for consumers to recycle.
Durable, mouldable and highly functional, Colourform echoes many of the properties brands seek in plastic without the inherent fossil fuel use and pollution.
The use of custom moulds for thermoforming increases the functionality of the material and decreases the need for additional components. Contoured-to-fit designs negate the need for foam or extra packaging materials, while integrated hinges and clasps mean there’s no need for metal or plastic hardware.
The Second Skin, a Colourform bottle sleeve created for champagne house Maison Ruinart, is nine times lighter than the previously used gift box. And as it is produced without using airfreight, the brand claims it represents a 60% reduction in carbon impact according to BEE and ADEME LCA methodology.
The thermoforming process, which involves feeding coloured pulp into a mould and heating it in stages, also allows for embossed or meshed detailing, an array of textures and finishes, and any shape or form imaginable.
All paper and pulp products undergo rigorous testing for colour fastness, rub and bleed, and can be finished with PaperGard, James Cropper’s antimicrobial application which is effective for the life of the product.
James Cropper offers a 360-degree service, including design, prototyping and manufacturing. The company has six thermoforming machines and parts can come off the machine and be ready to pack in less than one minute.
The company claims the energy used to operate its Colourform factory is 100% “powered by green energy”, most of which comes from community-owned solar panels within its facility. It is the UK’s largest roof-mounted PV system.
James Cropper is also attempting to close its water loop by minimising fresh water abstraction, reusing processed water, and recycling waste water back into the manufacturing process. It works with the Environment Agency to manage any water which is released back into the environment.
The Second Skin packaging won the D&AD Yellow Pencil and Wood Pencil for Packaging Design in 2022. It also won the Dieline Awards 2022 for Best Beverage Packaging and the Design Week 2021 award for 3D Structural Packaging.
Of group-wide revenue of GBP 70 million (USD 83.8 million) in the year ending March 2022, Colourform generated GBP 3.4 million (USD 4 million). Revenue grew by 19%, while sales revenue was up by 31%.

Dom Ruinart champagne bottle sleeve packaging / Source: James Cropper

The 2022 Colourform collection / Source: James Cropper

KEY FACTS:

36-40%

of all plastics produced are used for packaging – a higher percentage than the construction, automotive and electrical industries combined

9x

The Second Skin, a Colourform bottle sleeve created for champagne house Maison Ruinart, is nine times lighter than the previously used gift box

£3.4mn

Of group-wide revenue of GBP 70 million in the year ending March 2022, Colourform generated GBP 3.4 million

Key Questions to Ask:

Can you make this part of a wider change?

While reducing plastic waste and making it easier for consumers to recycle is commendable, most environmental damage for luxury brands occurs at the top of the supply chain. For instance, a Kering study found that 75% of its total environmental impact stems from raw material production and the processing of its products. Can the switch to paper packaging reflect changes higher up in the supply chain?

Is wood the best fibre choice?

According to the WWF, the paper and pulp industry uses 33-40% of all industrial wood traded globally. Packaging shouldn’t be a driver of deforestation. Can you explore alternative feedstocks such as Bamboo, Bagasse or Hemp, or take advantage of James Cropper’s in-house recycling solution?

How can you encourage extended use?

Given that consumers are used to using plastic packaging only once, that behaviour could well extend to paper packaging too. To counteract this, Maison Ruinart suggests that its Second Skin can be retained “until serving or longer to maintain the integrity of the wine.” Can you create a connection between product and packaging to make reuse central to the experience?

Can you close your own loop?

Selfridges tasked James Cropper and Veolia with recycling its coffee cups and turning them into its iconic yellow kraft bags. Can you identify leaks in your own waste stream that could be used as a feedstock for your Colourform packaging?

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