Sustainable Ply gives waste cardboard a second life

Sustainable Ply, founded by Paris May in 2025, is developing lightweight engineered panels from recovered cardboard, with applications already spanning furniture, signage and packaging.

The idea behind Sustainable Ply originated while Paris May was studying 3D Craft and Design at the University of Brighton, where experiments combining cardboard and timber skins led to the development of lightweight, flat-pack tables.

After working on props, temporary set builds and exhibitions at Plunge Creations, Paris began exploring how waste materials could be reused, having seen first-hand how much material was often left over at the end of projects.

Access to an industrial press while working with Kava Surfaces enabled Paris to develop the concept into full-sheet panels, while a ten-week course with the Circular Economy Institute helped shape the business’s approach to material use and waste reduction.

Founded in February 2025, Sustainable Ply manufactures engineered panels featuring a core of recovered corrugated cardboard between surface layers.

The panels can be adapted with different faces and thicknesses for applications including furniture, printed signage and construction, with potential uses in acoustic and insulation products.

The company now collects used cardboard from Brighton General Hospital, IKEA and Churchill Square Shopping Centre.

It has also established a closed-loop packaging project with Red Roaster, collecting the coffee business’s cardboard waste and turning it into new boxes for coffee distribution.

Sustainable Ply was showcased by MTRL Library at Surface Design Show 2026, with the material subsequently used in furniture, display plinths, printed signage and sample boxes.

In September 2026, the company became an Official Materials Partner at Shoreditch Design Week. Paris is also working with Brighton-based Lollipop Print to produce SP-FB, a printable panel combining a recovered-cardboard core with recycled fibreboard faces.

The material has attracted interest from the creative sector, with artists including Nigel Hall RA, Amy Shuckburgh, Jennifer Hodgson and Ajax Piper exploring or trialling Sustainable Ply artboards.

Further development work is focused on expanding its use across events and construction. Paris is in discussions with Shoreditch Design Week and Isola about collecting cardboard waste generated at events and converting it into signage for future shows.

Paris says his ambition is to expand Sustainable Ply beyond sheet materials into a broader range of furniture and construction products, while eventually creating apprenticeships and skilled jobs centred on turning recovered materials into useful products.

For more information about Sustainable Ply, visit: Sustainable Ply — Reclaimed-fibre panels, built in Lewes