05/16/2021

Avery Dennison launches AD Circular, their newly branded recycling program, in Asia Pacific

Recycling solution continues to enable circularity of label waste for the pressure sensitive label industry

Singapore, May 17, 2021—As part of its ongoing efforts to facilitate the circular economy and to demonstrate their strengthened commitment toward sustainability in the label industry, Avery Dennison today announced the launch in Asia Pacific of AD Circular, a combined and expanded program of its label matrix and liner waste recycling services. The rebranded program addresses the wider value chain for converters and brand owners, therefore, improving the overall recycling rate.

AD Circular program partners with professional recyclers in China and India to provide customized waste recycling solutions based on the waste generation situations of different companies. The program also helps companies establish a waste-management ledger, to help promote traceability and transparency. 

The amount of self-adhesive labels used in Asia Pacific has grown at a relatively rapid rate in recent years. At the same time, there has been a lack of extensive and effective closed-loop recycling solutions for the label waste, which is often incinerated or landfilled.

Now, companies in many parts of the region are facing increasing government regulation of label waste. In China, the revised "Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes,” which came into effect in September 2020, clarifies specific requirements for industrial solid waste treatment. AD Circular can help companies and converters comply with the new regulations.

A recent matrix recycling success in China  

Dongguan Sunway Label Co,. Ltd. is the first converter to join AD Circular in China. Their label matrix and PET liner waste has been recycled by Shenzhen Luhuan Renewable Resources. After joining the program, Sunway’s utilization rate of recycling resources has increased by 29%, while costs of solid waste disposal have decreased by about 53%. Mr. Jianhua Jia, president of Sunway, is satisfied with the improvement. 

“It has helped us eliminate potential safety hazards, improve the environment of our plant, and allow waste that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated to continue to have value through recycling, regeneration, modification and reuse, and make a positive contribution to environmental protection," he said. 

Part of a larger sustainability commitment

In pursuit of a revised set of sustainability goals for 2030 that build on the ambitious targets it set in 2015, Avery Dennison is expanding its label-waste recycling programs in the regions where it operates around the world to facilitate circularity throughout the packaging industry.

“As a company, our ambitions go beyond reducing our own impact,” said Renae Kezar, Global Senior Director and Head of Sustainability. “As a founding member of the Circular Economy for Labels (CELAB) consortium, we’re organizing cross-industry collaboration to realise our ambitions faster and see our impact extend further. The collaboration between Sunway, Luhuan and Avery Dennison is a milestone in building the closed-loop recycling system for label waste.”

In India, Avery Dennison partners with Mahajan Recycle Resources, Dharti Warriors, and Shakti Plastic Industries for label waste recycling and waste-to-energy efforts. Recycling arrangements are also available for other countries across Asia Pacific as Avery Dennison continues to add local recyclers to its partnership.

Contact your local Avery Dennison representative to learn more about the AD Circular program or to join the partnership.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and manufacturing company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio-frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs approximately 30,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2020 were $7 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.