RFID is redefining sustainability

Redefining sustainability with RFID and digital ID

Lasting change requires commitment and contribution from everyone. As we work toward our 2025 corporate sustainability goals, we’re 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.

Sustainability meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Making a real-world difference

According to Avery Dennison’s Market Insights Report IoT and the Imminent Supply Chain Revolution, 83% of global c-suite and leadership roles believe that supply chains and associated technologies can assist businesses with their sustainability objectives.

RFID and Digital ID solutions can be powerful tools to help consumer brands, retailers and industrial companies to operate more sustainably. By offering greater visibility into supply chains and inventories, they help to avoid overproduction, reduce waste, enable better recycling and ultimately increase profitability. Here are three key issues that can be addressed:

Reducing food loss 

40% of food waste is caused at the supply-chain level according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Despite margins that are razor-thin, grocers and restaurants routinely throw away three to four percent of their margin by accepting food waste as part of the cost of doing business. Traceability technologies like RFID and Digital ID can help to increase supply chain agility and improve expiration management. Learn more about Food and Beverages solutions

Loving apparel for longer

Boston Consulting research shows that the average garment is worn 10 times before disposal while 75% of consumers view sustainability as extremely or very important. Digital ID and RFID including NFC can enable a new kind of digital care label, providing consumers with compelling mobile experiences as well as bespoke care advice to lengthen the life of a garment post purchase, and providing diverse ideas about how to style it. Learn more about Apparel and Fashion solutions.

Beauty and personal care

Almost 60% of consumers are shifting to “green” purchases in personal care, according to a consumer survey by A.T. Kearney. There are multiple companies already implementing sustainable practices into their supply chain, packaging, and ingredients. The radical improvements in inventory management and traceability afforded by RFID and Digital ID enable brands to optimize their production and better manage product expiration, ultimately reducing excess and waste, while improving both the bottom line and brand trust. Learn more about Beauty and Personal Care solutions.

Innovating to make our products and manufacturing processes more sustainable

We recognize that a growing number of our customers value environmentally friendly RFID products and are keen to use them, partly driven by the ever-growing deployment of RFID labels and tags in more areas of application. Our innovative SmartFace™ Technology and Green Tag Program allow businesses to benefit from virtually plastic-free, recyclable and compostable products that use fewer materials and help to achieve a significant carbon footprint reduction. To learn more, go to the Sustainable Tags product overview.

We also continuously review and enhance our manufacturing processes across our global facilities to minimize our waste and carbon footprint. Consequently, we obtained ISO 14001 certification for our facilities in Fletcher, USA; Guangzhou, China; Kulim, Malaysia; and Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany. The ISO 14000 family provides practical tools for companies and organizations seeking to identify and control their environmental impact.

Related content

Digital transformation to prevent food waste

Food waste has become an enormous challenge across the global grocery, restaurant and consumer landscape. This report in partnership with Coresight aims to raise awareness while exploring the scope of the issue for food retailers in North America. Read how technology can be used to manage and reduce food waste to benefit retailers and the environment.

Watch our film on transparency “A Portrait of a Supply Chain”

At Avery Dennison we believe technology can be a force for good and enable a better tomorrow. Our latest film “A Portrait of a Supply Chain” is an expression of this vision: A future where technology can drive positive change both for the people and for the planet. Discover how digital ID can help you unlock vast possibilities, making your supply chains more transparent while helping to empower the people along the journey.

Our sustainable tags

Doing business sustainably – growing while using fewer natural resources and reducing carbon emissions and other pollution – is now mandatory for companies, if not through regulation, then from a consuming public that expects the things they buy to have minimal impact on people and the planet. Avery Dennison offers the industry’s largest portfolio of inlays that live up to our sustainability promise, and our goal is to create products that are third-party verified, providing market guidance and clarity on what is a truly sustainable RFID inlay.