Our vision on enabling a sustainable graphics industry

An interview with Elizabeth Park, Director of Innovation & Marketing Excellence for Graphics Solutions EMENA.

We believe there is a responsibility and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to a more sustainable future. What is our vision at Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions, and how are we supporting our customers?

What does Sustainability mean within Avery Dennison? 

Our focus on sustainability has evolved over many years, but since 2015 we have been trying to think 10 years ahead when planning our sustainability strategy and setting concrete goals at a global level. 

Avery Dennison’s view of sustainability is holistic, because sustainability encompasses more than just the products we sell. It also includes social responsibility, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. Sustainability is integrated into all our functions. It affects how we design products, how we source our raw materials, how we understand our customer's needs within our commercial teams, and of course how we manufacture our products. An external focus is also important: we take our responsibility as a producer in the graphics business very seriously, so we make sure to look beyond our own four walls. 

We tackle industry-wide challenges by working with customers and other value chain partners and believe that education, transparency and collaboration are the keys to success. 

 

How does sustainability influence innovation at Avery Dennison? 

For us, the words innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. We see it as a responsibility to make the most of our knowledge as leaders in science and innovation, so that we design and market our products in a more sustainable way for the future. 

We have adopted an EcoDesign methodology. This considers the environmental impact of any new product development at the first concept and design phase, and ensures that each successive generation of product is more sustainable than the last. Our EcoDesign programme also allows us to scrutinize the use of chemicals in our chemical products more strictly than required by law (e.g. REACH). 

 

According to Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions, what criteria should a sustainable product meet? 

Sustainability is a broad and complex topic, and can be considered from various angles. Our approach is to look at the life cycle of each product and consider how best to follow five guidelines: 

  1. Reduction: using less material to create less waste

  2. Responsibly sourced: including renewable materials, Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified paper, and recycled content

  3. Reduced Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and solvents: for example, PVC-free solutions

  4. Reduced environmental footprint during the use phase: for example, solar window films

  5. Recyclability at end-of-life.

 

For more information on our sustainability commitment, you can visit our website and check out our sustainability brochure.