A mother and daughter from Stirlingshire have launched their first collection of designs using blank sheets of newsprint to create eco-friendly wrapping paper.

Production journalist Julie Ross and her daughter, creative artist Eleanor, set up Scrunch Eco Wrap to produce a sustainable alternative to unrecyclable plastic and glitter-laced wrapping paper. The pair plan to create four collections per year, and eventually hope to customise their paper for corporate clients by using the reverse side of the wrap.

The company's name was inspired by the test consumers should do to see if their wrapping paper is recyclable, which involves taking a piece of gift wrap and scrunching it up into a ball. If it stays scrunched and doesn’t unfold, it can usually be recycled.

“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," said Julie, who has worked as a journalist and sub-editor for more than 30 years.

The Herald: Martin ShieldsMartin Shields (Image: Martin Shields)

"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.’’

The wrap is free of plastics and coatings and uses eco-friendly ink, but the print process used ensures there is no inky rub-off. The paper can be recycled and is also compostable.

Furthermore, the newsprint used in Scrunch wrap is FSC certified, sourced from responsibly managed forests by producers that have met a strict set of environmental and social standards. It is also de-inkable, meaning it can be completely recycled to create fresh newsprint.

The first collection of designs from Eleanor, a graduate of Glasgow University, include pink and orange ferns, teal flower stems, blue and pink hearts and a colourful botanical and butterfly print. Future collections will include Christmas wrapping, which is expected to be their biggest seller.