RCS - Cropper(James) PLC - Collaboration with Hexcel on Composite Recycling

James CropperAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 9082V  Cropper(James) PLC  10 March 2026

10 March 2026

 

James Cropper plc

("James Cropper", the "Company" or the "Group")

 

Collaboration with Hexcel on Composite Recycling

 

James Cropper plc (AIM: CRPR), the Advanced Materials and Paper &
Packaging group, is pleased to announce that James Cropper Advanced Materials
and Hexcel are working together through the Aerospace & Defence working
group of the European Composites Circular Alliance (ECCA) to advance the
development of high-value composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre
that support both performance and circularity across aerospace, automotive and
mobility sectors.

 

ECCA, an initiative led by the European Composites Industry Association
(EUCIA), brings together material producers, end users, recyclers, and part
manufacturers to address the structural challenges that limit composite
recycling. One of its key focus areas is carbon fibre recycling within
aerospace and defence, where material performance and fibre utilisation are
critical. Within aerospace and defence in particular, ECCA focuses on
materials manufactured from recovered or recycled carbon fibre, where
performance and fibre utilisation are essential to enabling circularity at
scale.

 

The collaboration between James Cropper and Hexcel centres on the use of
UNIMAT™, enabled by James Cropper's VECTIS™ aligned fibre technology, as a
practical model for how recycled carbon fibre materials can achieve the
alignment and fibre volume fractions needed to compete in demanding composite
applications. The objective is not alignment alone, but the development of
enhanced, high-value recovery composite materials made from recycled carbon
fibre that deliver meaningful structural performance.

 

Within ECCA, a core focus is the advancement of composite materials derived
from recycled fibre for aerospace and defence applications, where performance,
processability and material utilisation are closely linked to deliver best
value recovery solutions.

 

Products developed through this collaborative work are being showcased on both
companies' stands at JEC World on 10-12 March 2026.

 

David Tilbrook, Senior Technical Fellow at Hexcel, and Chair of the Aerospace
and Defence Working Group for ECCA, said:

 

"For aerospace applications, improved fibre alignment supports
stiffness-driven designs core to lightweighting and fuel burn reduction. Fuel
accounts for over 90 percent of an aircraft's lifetime emissions and up to 30
percent of airline operating costs and so weight reduction is a key
environmental and economic driver. Increasing the value of composites using
recycled fibres like this addresses exactly the kind of challenge ECCA aims to
solve by promoting industry-wide collaboration."

 

David Stirling, Chief Executive Officer of James Cropper plc, said:

 

"This collaboration is a significant step in advancing our aligned fibre
technology into high‑performance composite markets. By working with leading
partners, including Hexcel through the European Composites Circular Alliance,
we are accelerating industrial adoption of our VECTIS™ platform and turning
circular‑economy ambition into scalable manufacturing solutions. This
partnership-led model strengthens our route to market, reinforces our position
in higher‑value growth sectors, and supports the delivery of sustainable
long-term value for shareholders."

 

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Enquiries

 

 James Cropper plc                                         Tel: +44 (0)1539 722 002

 David Stirling, CEO

 Andrew Goody, CFO

 Shore Capital - (Nominated Adviser and Broker)            Tel: +44 (0)207 408 4090

 Daniel Bush, David Coaten, Henry Willcocks, Lucy Bowden

 IFC Advisory - Financial PR                               Tel: +44 (0) 203 934 6630

 Graham Herring, Tim Metcalfe, Zach Cohen                  james.cropper@investor-focus.co.uk (mailto:james.cropper@investor-focus.co.uk)

 

About Hexcel

 

Hexcel Corporation is a global leader in advanced lightweight composites
technology. It provides innovative, high-performance material solutions that
are lighter, stronger and tougher, shaping a world that moves farther, smarter
and more efficiently. Hexcel's broad and unrivaled product range includes
carbon fiber, specialty reinforcements, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced
matrix materials, honeycomb, resins, engineered core, and composite structures
for use in commercial aerospace, defense and space, and industrial
applications.

 

About James Cropper

 

James Cropper plc is globally recognised for its specialist capabilities in
the design and manufacture of advanced materials and paper products. Operating
through two principal businesses - Advanced Materials and Paper &
Packaging - and built upon 180 years of innovation, the Group serves a
diverse range of customers with high-performance solutions tailored to
specialised applications.

 

The Advanced Materials business develops cutting-edge nonwoven materials and
electrochemical coatings for sectors including aerospace, clean energy, and
defence. The Paper & Packaging business offers premium creative papers
and bespoke moulded fibre packaging together with leading recycled-fibre
capabilities and products, supporting the transition to a circular economy.

 

Headquartered in Burneside (UK), with additional manufacturing sites
in Crewe (UK), Launceston (UK), and Schenectady (USA), James Cropper
leverages deep expertise in material science and longstanding partnerships
with industry-leading businesses and brands to develop bespoke solutions that
meet complex technical and aesthetic specifications.

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