Helping Brothers Drinks save 448 tons of CO2 annually

At Avery Dennison, our sustainability efforts focus not only on reducing our own environmental footprint, but also enabling businesses from across our supply chain to reduce their footprints as well. 

One way we do this is through AD Circular, our pioneering program which supports the recycling of used PET and glassine label liners in 12 countries throughout Europe. We collect used liners and work with trusted partners to recycle them and ultimately transform them into high-value items. In the process, we help partners contribute to creating a circular economy where nothing goes to waste.

One of our program partners is Brothers Drinks, a family-owned cider producer whose origins date back to the 17th century, and one of the world’s fastest-growing cider brands producing 140 million bottles annually. Thanks to AD Circular, they are also now the first UK cider brand to successfully recycle the PET backing from labels on a mass scale. We spoke with their team about the impact AD Circular has had on their sustainability initiatives and goals.

Why did you join AD Circular? What problems were you facing?

The PET material label backing we use for our bottles had no clear route to recycling, so this waste stream was only going to ‘energy from waste’, and at a significant cost. Avery Dennison collaborated with us to find the best recycling pathway and implement the AD Circular program. This was not straightforward, and there were additional hurdles that delayed the process at times, but they persisted and worked with us to make it happen. Avery Dennison then provided suitable containers for collection of the used liners, so we could be sure that there would be no issues in the transportation of the liners to recycling facilities.