Sustainable Advantage

Sustainable Advantage is a portfolio of products, solutions and service programs that enables companies across global industries to use fewer natural resources, cut carbon emissions, reduce waste and build toward a circular, low-carbon economy. With the application of digital technologies and intelligent labeling solutions, Sustainable Advantage improves visibility and circularity and provides customers with valuable insights to their supply chains and how they impact the environment.

Our Sustainable Advantage portfolio is as varied as the global marketplace it supports. Examples include labels and tags made with recyclable and/or renewable content; adhesives that enable more packaging and plastic to be recycled; resource-efficient digital printers; industrial tapes that replace heavier fasteners; digital ID technologies, such as the use of RFID-equipped labels or QR codes that can help reduce waste and improve product transparency; and tools and services that empower companies to make their products and operations more sustainable.

Sustainable Advantage Criteria
Products and solutions are evaluated for sustainability as part of our Avery Dennison ecodesign principles and innovation process. When we develop a product, improve a material or otherwise find a more sustainable option, we categorize the product’s sustainability characteristics against a predefined list. In making these assessments, we rely on supplier material certifications and/or declarations guided by third party certifications. By choosing better materials in the design and production of our products, we can improve product efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint.

The categories we use to evaluate our products include:

Responsibly Sourced

We accept several types of certifications from our suppliers to indicate an environmentally preferable material. Products in our Sustainable Advantage portfolio fall into the following categories and criteria sets:

Paper products

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) includes FSC and mix credit and in some cases FSC controlled wood.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

Other fiber products

Depending on the commodity, we will accept specific certifications that reflect a particular industry, such as Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for cotton.
Thresholds vary by product or product component by product family.

Contains Recycled or Renewable Content

We accept several types of certifications and supplier declarations for recycled content depending on the product.

Recycled content

We accept several industry standard recycled content certifications, including the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) and Recycled Content Standard (RCS). We also accept certain supplier declarations of recycled content.

Renewable materials*

International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC).
On Pack Recycling Labels (OPRL Ltd., a U.K.-based, not-for-profit organization that provides guidance for recycling and labels).

Bio-based materials

For other categories, a product must be made from 100% bio-based materials to be considered responsibly sourced, with suppliers providing third party certification, testing or an assurance letter.

Reduction in Use of Materials

Avery Dennison products and materials qualify for the Reduction in Use of Materials category when they meet specific criteria.

Products qualify when the facestock, adhesive or liner is lower in mass relative to an incumbent product with a comparable application. The claim must be accompanied by an environmental analysis, such as a carbon footprint, that demonstrates a reduction in overall impact.

To qualify as a materials reduction product, the product must be comparable in material usage to alternatives and reduce material used for facestock, adhesive or liner. Validation can be completed by providing a documented report from a third-party consultant or other objective data that indicates overall material use has been reduced.

Environmental Impact Reduction
Each category requires an independent third party assessment of all data or claims. This can be a life cycle analysis (LCA) or product carbon footprint (PCF) life cycle analysis. In the case of improved energy efficiency in hardware, an assurer can validate claims.

Customer environmental benefit

A digital solution that enables an environmental impact reduction requires an LCA or pilot project. The project must provide data showing that the product provides an environmental benefit in a specific application.

Product lifecycle footprint improvement

A product lifecycle footprint improvement is evident when any LCA or PCF shows a reduction over prior generations or comparable products. An example is a reduction in energy use (e.g., Energy Star).

Improved longevity and repairability

Hardware focused. The product design incorporates a life-extending design or design-for-repairability or design-for-reuse of components.

End-of-life (EOL) management

Reusable: The product must be proven to be suitable for use with reusable containers.
Compostable: The product must be easily compostable in home or industrial systems validated by certifications such as Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and European Standards EN13432.
Easily Recycled: Our hardware and machine products incorporate life-extending design, design for repairability and reuse of components. Products can be recycled using standard systems available within a given country.
Enable Recyclability: The product enables the recycling of the product or packaging to which our label is attached.

Sustainable Advantage Review Process
Our two business segments, the Materials Group and the Solutions Group, have each established dedicated committees responsible for overseeing their respective Sustainable Advantage standards. These committees conduct bi-annual reviews to ensure the standards are up-to-date and align with our sustainability goals.

*In calculating our 2030 goals, we include certified paper as a renewable material. Refer to the responsibly sourced section for information on our certified paper standard.