About Us

Scrunch was set up in 2022 by production journalist Julie and her daughter Eleanor. After watching the bags of unrecyclable, glitter-laced wrapping paper pile up at every birthday and Christmas, Julie started wondering how she could help make gift-giving more planet-friendly. And it turned out that the answer had been in front of her every single day at work: in the form of the humble newspaper. For Julie, who has worked in the newspaper industry for more than 30 years, it made total sense to utilise the material she knows and loves. Plus, she already knew that newsprint was FSC-certified, and that the industry adheres to the highest standards of sustainability. With the help of Eleanor, for whom digital art has always been a hobby, they created a range of vibrant gift wrap designs.

The wrapping paper retains the trademark white newspaper border, but the printing process Scrunch opted to use prevents the ink-stained fingers that sometimes occurs after handling newsprint. The thickness of the paper is 55gsm, meaning that it is flexible enough to easily manipulate the paper, but thick enough to suitably cover whatever gift it is you are giving. Newsprint makes for a really pleasant wrapping experience!

Their shop name Scrunch is inspired by the test to ascertain whether paper is recyclable - the 'scrunch test'. If a sheet of wrapping paper that has been scrunched into a ball stays in said ball and doesn't spring back open, it can usually be recycled.
  • Eleanor & Julie, Co-founders