Page 19 - Packaging News magazine Sep-Oct 2022

Currently, digitising supply chains is not front of mind for our convert- ers – intelligent labels are seen as a separate business. We want to see the industry transform in a way where there is no action for the consumer, and it is all taken care of by the labelling manufacturers.
As industry leaders, we must take a forward-looking view of how we can create less waste and focus on regen- eration. It is more than just talking the talk, we’ve got to walk the walk – which is why we’ve pledged to reduce our Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 70 per cent, and Scope 3 emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. By 2025 we’ve pledged to deliver innovations that enhance the circular economy, reduce environmental impact in our operations and supply chains, and make a positive social impact by enhancing the livelihood of our people and communities.
Imagine a world where every product in your household is ‘etched’ with a code which is triggered when it is taken away by rubbish trucks... we’d all just have one bin to put everything into, and the digitisation of the supply chain will allow for this
to be separated and repurposed with ease.”
Waste reduction is an important part of our work in moving to this next step and it requires a joint effort between all stakeholders in the value chain. Not one company alone will be able to solve the problem of waste on its own. We need to collaborate across the industry to drive change.
COLLABORATION
OVER COMPETITION
To drive this change, we need to empower others in our industry to become aware of what it means to be a part of a regenerative economy. The journey to net-zero is undoubtedly over- whelming, and we can appreciate that
individuals and small businesses don’t know where to start. We believe the best bet we all have is working collab- oratively instead of competing.
For this reason, we have created AD Stretch, the first program in the labels industry aimed at partnering with start-up innovators to solve key challenges and create new opportu- nities within sustainability, customer experience and value chains. We’ve suc- cessfully launched the program in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions early this year, which will be followed by Europe and the US. In late August, we announced the first five start-ups we will be collaborating with across Asia Pacific, including Australia.
We have another important initiative called AD Circular which connects the entire value chain, bringing together brands and recyclers to find new solu- tions and turn label waste into new products. The program allows us to recycle paper liner into tissue paper which can then be recycled after use.
We relaunched our AD Circular ini- tiative in Asia Pacific last year. The regional AD Circular program partners with professional recyclers in China and India to provide customised waste recycling solutions based on the waste generation situations of different com- panies. The program also helps companies establish a waste-manage- ment ledger, to help promote traceability and transparency.
Our life cycle analysis tool mea- sures the environmental impact of our products, such as carbon foot- print, water usage, and energy usage. This is especially important here in Australia, as the number of self-adhe- sive labels used here 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.
EVERY PERSON AND EVERY
SMALL STEP CAN HELP DRIVE FUTURE SUCCESS
It all comes down to having the right people and ensuring everyone under- stands the vision for the company, their people, their clients, and our planet. We need to see ourselves as an extension of the communities where we live and work. Strong values and ethics can really shape the way com- panies work with their customers and the community.
AD Circular allows paper liner to be recycled into tissue paper for recycling after use.
Above: With atma.io connected product cloud, every physical item can be assigned a unique digital identity, providing “unparalleled” end-to-end transparency, enabling circularity.
Below: Cath Cornaggia, Avery Dennison’s commercial director, Label and Packaging Materials, ANZ.
One local initiative we’re passionate about here in Melbourne is an opportu- nity we had to volunteer at an amazing charity, St Kilda Mums. This organisa- tion collects, cleans, safety checks and repurposes items for babies, children, and families – and then donates them to those less fortunate in the community. In the 2020 financial year, they were able to re-home $7 million worth of items that otherwise would have likely ended up in landfill. We were very fortu- nate to be able to spend the day working with the fabulous volunteers that run this organisation.
And earlier this year, Avery Dennison became a certified Great Place to Work. This means we’re recognised as a great workplace where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the company of peo- ple they work with.
Looking to the future, I hope our industry can work collaboratively towards a greater good. My door is always open to chat about how we can turn ideas into reality. ■
WWW.PACKAGINGNEWS.COM.AU
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2022 ❙ 19
COVER STORY