Pioneering a more sustainable wine industry with Famille Ravoire

In recent years, industries worldwide have been shifting towards more sustainable business practices, and the wine industry is no exception. Reducing the environmental impact of wine production not only involves agricultural measures like reducing pesticide use, but also reducing energy and water use, applying fair trade principles, and making packaging more sustainable - including labels.

That’s where Avery Dennison comes in. As part of our commitment to enabling more sustainable packaging, our AD Circular program supports the recycling of used PET and paper label liners in 12 countries throughout Europe. We collect used liners and work with trusted recycling partners to handle the rest, thereby helping businesses contribute to creating a circular economy where nothing goes to waste.

One of our program partners is Famille Ravoire, a family-owned business specialized in wines from the Rhône and Provence regions in France. We spoke with their Marketing & Development Manager, Alexandra Parfus, about the impact AD Circular has had on their sustainability initiatives and goals.

What sustainability issue(s) was Famille Ravoire facing that encouraged you to sign up for AD Circular?

As part of our marketing, sales, and production strategies, a few years ago we decided to adopt adhesive solutions for all our labeling. The ease of application, as well as the broad range of paper available, have always satisfied our expectations and objectives. However, we were also confronted with an issue which was new to us: label liner waste. Each year, we ended up with several tonnes of glassine liners which we had to dispose of.

An important part of our sustainability plans was to reduce our waste in the medium term. Our company is committed to reducing the waste material that cannot be recycled or upcycled by 95% by 2030. Solutions for our cardboard, plastic, and glass waste were readily available, but we had no solution for glassine liners.

In parallel to our own production, we also offer bottling services to other vineyards in the region via one of our subsidiaries. Recycling these materials therefore became quite pressing to ensure that we abide by our CSR commitments.

After years of discussions and exploration, we heard about AD Circular. The program includes the collection and recycling of all our glassine liners and satisfies our requirements in all respects. It is easy to implement and inexpensive.

Why did you join AD Circular? Why choose it over other programs?

Given the large quantity of liners generated by adhesive labels, due to the glassine liners that we had to throw away without any possibility of recycling, we initially questioned the relevance of this kind of label. We even considered the ecological necessity of moving back to more traditional paper materials.

However, we were not too keen on such options, mainly due to technical requirements on our bottling chains, but also for obvious marketing and sales reasons. Adhesive labels offer more detailed premiumization possibilities and are more relevant to our requirements and the positioning of our products.

AD Circular enables us to maintain our CSR ambitions to reduce our waste, without negatively impacting the marketing designs on our labels. It is undoubtedly a pioneering and innovative service. When the Avery Dennison team told us about the program, it was clear that they grasped the full measure of the issue and stakes it entailed for our company.

At the time we joined, we had not found any equivalent solution that was as relevant and sustainable. Over the past months we have heard of competitor offers that have become available, but they do not seem as well-adapted as AD Circular in terms of reuse and also from a logistical / implementation point of view.

What kind of measurable results have you seen from using AD Circular and how has your business changed?

For our company the impact in terms of recycling our waste was immediate. Instead of disposing of 9 tonnes of glassine liners for incineration, the totality of this waste is now recycled and reused in an efficient and effective manner and can go on to enjoy a second life. In just one year, we have reduced our non-recycled waste by 80% thanks to AD Circular.

Has your business experienced any additional benefits from AD Circular?

In addition to recycling all our glassine liners from our production lines in Salon de Provence, we have extended the AD Circular solution to vineyards we partner with, in particular those to whom we offer bottling services. We believe this is a quite virtuous circle that paves the way for CSR discussions with other partners in the wine industry.

Learn more

If you wish to learn more about the AD Circular program, click here.

Are you a brand owner or converter interested in recycling used paper and filmic label liners? Contact us to learn more about how AD Circular can help and start your free trial period.

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Pioneering a more sustainable wine industry with Famille Ravoire