TURNING NEWSPRINT INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL

Eleanor and Julie Ross have launched a planet-friendly gift wrapping business combining their newspaper and design skills. Photo by Martin Shields.

A mother and daughter duo from West Stirlingshire are hoping to make headlines with their new creative business, turning newsprint into eco-friendly wrapping paper.

Scrunch Eco Wrap is a brand-new Balfron based business run by production journalist Julie Ross and her artist daughter Eleanor.

It was the bags of unrecyclable plastic and glitter-laced wrapping paper piling up every Christmas Day morning that got Julie thinking whether she could start making her own, greener gift wrap.

And when Glasgow hosted COP26 in 2021 and the spotlight was on what countries and individuals could do to become more planet friendly, it spurred Julie onto create a more sustainable wrapping solution.

For Julie, who has worked as a journalist and sub-editor for more than 30 years, it made sense to look to the product she loves - newsprint - and see if it could be used as wrapping paper.

Knowing that the newspaper industry adheres to the highest standards of sustainability Julie reckoned newsprint’s eco-credentials would make it the perfect medium for a greener gift wrap.

Combining Glasgow University graduate Eleanor’s vibrant patterns with premium newsprint, together they have produced wrapping sheets which are attractive and durable.

The pair decided to retain the white border typical of newspapers, but the print process they use means there is no inky rub-off and pesky printer’s marks.

Julie explained: “Our business name ‘Scrunch’ is inspired by the test consumers should do to see if their wrapping paper is recyclable, the scrunch test. Take your piece of gift wrap and scrunch it up into a ball, if it stays scrunched and doesn’t unfold itself, it usually can be recycled.’’

Julie and Eleanor’s first collection features bright pink and orange ferns, teal flower stems, blue and pink hearts and a colourful botanical and butterfly print.

And as their paper is free of plastics and coatings as well as using eco-friendly ink, it can be recycled and is compostable, making it a greener way to wrap a gift.

Julie and Eleanor plan to create around four collections per year, including Christmas wrapping.

Julie said: “As well as our Scrunch patterns being an attractive wrap we also want to continue using newsprint for the purpose for which it is intended, to tell stories and promote relevant messages.

“We plan to use the blank side of the wrap for recycling facts and figures as well as allowing clients to tell their own eco-friendly stories.” 

Find out more at www.scrunchecowrap.com