Our Sustainability Journey | Avery Dennison

Lasting change requires commitment and contribution from everyone. As we work toward our 2030 sustainability goals, we are thinking bigger and reaching higher, applying our collaborative spirit, passion for innovation, and technical expertise to transform our operations, our products, our industry, and, ultimately, our world.

As a leader in the Graphics industry, we are making a material difference by sourcing responsibly, reducing our operational footprint, and incorporating an EcoDesign methodology in our product development. Our goal is to advance our sustainability commitment, collaborating closely with key players across the value chain.

Avery Dennison is a global material science company specialising in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of pressure-sensitive adhesives, graphics, labelling and functional materials. Our 85 years of experience have created the blueprint for trailblazing innovation and regenerative industry practices that will define the future of manufacturing for this generation and the next. Sustainability is a key value of Avery Dennison where we are focused on the long-term health of our business, planet, and communities.

In our ongoing commitment to operate a sustainable business and serve as a force for good both environmentally and socially, we continue to pursue our 2025 sustainability goals. We are also announcing three new sustainability goals for 2030, which we will pursue in parallel with our 2025 targets.

Our 2030 sustainability goals were developed based on careful analysis of what is most important for our business and stakeholders, covering the areas where we can, and should, make the greatest difference. Striving to meet our new goals will be the greatest test yet of our capacity to innovate and an invaluable opportunity to position our business for lasting success. Our 2030 sustainability goals align with seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2030 Sustainability Goals

Deliver innovations that advance the circular economy

Accelerate sales of products that meet our Sustainable ADvantage criteria
Deliver industry recycling solutions of packaging and waste that enable circularity

Reduce our environmental impact in our operations and supply chain

Reduce our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 70% from our 2015 baseline. Work with our supply chain to reduce our 2018 baseline Scope 3 GHG emissions by 30%.
Divert 95% of our waste away from landfills, with a minimum of 80% of our waste recycled and the remainder either reused, composted or sent to energy recovery.

Make a positive social impact by enhancing the livelihood of our people and communities

Foster an engaged team and an inclusive workplace, where health & safety is paramount and we give back to the communities which we serve

Our Sustainability Progress

Exceeded our 2025 goal for reducing absolute GHG emissions—six years early.
Generated 50% of revenue from LGM’s product sales through our Sustainable ADvantage™ portfolio.
Altogether in 2021, the Avery Dennison Foundation and our company made over $6 million in grants and other contributions in support of our communities, more than double the amount of the year prior.
Received approval from The Science Based Targets initiative for our 2030 emissions reduction targets as being consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement climate change treaty.

Australia & New Zealand Initiatives

Installed 177 Kw solar systems across our two sites in Australia. Estimated to meet 50% of our power consumption in our largest site in Melbourne.
Launched our End Cap Recycling Program to re-manufacture packaging waste into a range of outdoor furniture, and durable products.
Ambition to generate 50% of Graphics Solutions sales from our Sustainable Advantage portfolio by 2025.

See our full sustainability goals and metrics

Our Climate Ambition

We have been very focused on reducing our emissions related to our operations over the past several years, but as climate change increasingly impacts all of our stakeholders from our employees and communities we operate in to our customers and end users, we have escalated our ambition to do more.

Moving forward we will continue the journey to reduce our emissions from our operations and incorporate renewable energy wherever possible (Scope 1 & 2) while we begin the mission to expand our focus to include emissions generated throughout our value chain as our products are being created through their end of life (Scope 3), all in pursuit of a net zero future.

Sustainable Graphics Portfolio

Our Sustainable Graphics portfolio gives our customer access to a new generation of more sustainable products. We have embedded EcoDesign methodology into our innovation process to ensure we are delivering new products that have a positive impact on the environment. Each product in the portfolio qualifies by meeting one or more of the following criteria:

Reduce VOCs & solvents
- Innovation in the design of key product components, such as PVC-free films, that reduces emissions of harmful compounds.
Reduce environmental impact during use phase
- Products that enable customers to reduce their environmental footprint during use, such as our Architectural Window Films
Renewable content
- An alternative source to petroleum based or certified responsibly sourced materials
Material reduction
- Using only what is necessary

See our full Sustainable Graphics portfolio

Transparency is an important part of creating trust and partnerships for a more sustainable industry. Developed by Avery Dennison, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is designed to measure a product’s environmental impact across several categories. It provides facts that are easy to understand, helping you make informed environmental decisions.

Responsible Sourcing

We take great care in the selection of our suppliers to ensure that they uphold our sustainability principles. We aim for 100% of our raw materials to be responsibly sourced.

FSC® Certified

The vast majority of our paper based materials including release liners and paper facestocks are sourced from FSC® certified suppliers.

Sustainable packaging

We take great care in designing packaging for our products to ensure they arrive at our customers in optimum condition. To minimise our environmental footprint we are utilizing recycled materials, or making components that can be reused or recycled.

Made with recycled paper where possible:

Inner Cores - The majority of our product inner cores are made from 100% recycled paper.

Packaging Boxes - The majority of our packaging boxes are made from recycled paper and/or FSC paper

Made with recycled plastic:

Plastic Core Stoppers - The majority of our plastic core stoppers are made with recycled plastic granulate and can now be recycled in specific countries for remanufacture.

Recycling Programs

A significant challenge facing the graphics industry is moving from a linear to cirular economy. This is a difficult proposition as finished graphics consist of mixed materials, and decentralisation of installation and ultimately waste. We are taking small but meaningful steps to build supply chains and logistics capabilities to aggregate waste whilst working with the waste industry to find viable waste streams. We are also proactively looking to invest and scale in separation, processing and recycling innovation.

End Cap Recycling (Australia)

Together with our partners in Australia, we are now collecting and recycling all Avery Dennison, and qualifying alternative roll core stoppers (end caps). These are remanufactured into public outdoor furniture, decking, exercise stations, bollards and a range of other products for durable outdoor applications.

Learn about End Cap Recycling

Liner Recycling (India)

Working with key partners across the value chain, we started aggregating liner waste from several ongoing strategic end user projects. As we engaged across the recycling ecosystem , we uncovered some suitable uses for our siliconised clay coated kraft paper liners. Until May, we had recycled 60 metric ton of liner in 2022 for various products, most notably filler paper used in packaging in the apparel and footwear industry. We continue to expand the program in India and beyond.

Helping your customers navigate these challenging times

Public Safety Signage

Our journey to Sustainability