Zero Waste

Futures
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Introduction 1

The world
is over-
As retail continues to shift to online – a long- Building a zero waste future requires
term trend accelerated by the Covid-19 rethinking the economics of waste, and
pandemic – there will be even more waste. problem-solving from multiple angles
Already, containers and packaging make up in order to create end-to-end solutions
28% of the waste that ends up in American that both lessen waste and prevent it
landfills according to the EPA and in from the outset. Innovation in materials
December 2020, an estimated three billion can make products and packaging more
packages were shipped for Christmas in the recyclable, and more likely to stay within
US – up 800 million from the year prior. the loop longer. Technological and digital
ID innovations will give us unprecedented
Across the globe, two billion tonnes of The sheer scale of global waste has created visibility over the supply chain, creating
waste are generated each year, according a sense of urgency as governments, more efficient inventory management
to the World Bank. Consumers are businesses and consumers’ alike recognise and allowing businesses to eliminate
confronted with waste on a daily basis, we cannot continue to dispose of stuff at unnecessary waste. ‘There will be no silver
from expired foods in their refrigerators to will without consequences. Indeed, solving bullet,’ says Chaffo. ‘It’s going to be many,
unworn clothing in their closets and non- waste has become a lifesaving endeavour many solutions, working in harmony to
recyclable packaging in their rubbish bins. during the pandemic. Facing global PPE drive positive outcomes.’
Brands, retailers and manufacturers are (Personal Protective Equipment) shortages,
confronted with it too – across the supply hospitals have streamlined their inventory The following drivers, trends and futures in
chain, inventory loss and inefficiencies management to repurpose unused items this report examine some of these solutions,
lead to wastage, while overproduction which normally would have been discarded. that when taken together paint a picture of
and misestimations lead to disposal of how a zero waste future might be achieved,
unwanted stock. Globally, new trends are emerging that focus in order to create a world where waste is not
on building a circular economy, where nothing only mitigated, but eliminated.
Modern living has accelerated this exorbitant is wasted and everything is fed back into the
buildup of waste. Mass consumption, throw- system in an endless loop of recycling and
away culture and the lure of convenience reusing. Circularity requires businesses to
have resulted in a landscape where many find value in resources already in circulation
do not consider the wasteful implications and reframe how they perceive waste in the
of their shopping habits. For instance, one first place. ‘We have to ask what is waste?
survey of 4,000 women found they own 40 And what do we consider valuable?’ says Tyler
beauty products on average, but only use Chaffo, Manager of Global Sustainability,
five – leaving 87% wasted. Avery Dennison Smartrac.

flowing
with waste.
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures 2

Increasingly sustainable mindsets, debates

over consumption and plastic waste, new
waves of legislation and a realisation amongst
brands and retailers that avoiding waste
is good for business are all driving forward
a zero waste future.

Drivers
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Drivers 3

Less or Better?
There is a current tension in how we
tackle waste in a society defined by mass
consumption. Should the focus be on
reducing the waste through the ‘reduce,
reuse, recycle’ philosophy? Or should we
be looking to create new systems, materials
and products that are better suited to a
circular economy from the start?

Jan Boelen, a curator and the artistic

director of Atelier Luma believes that the
answer cannot lie in simply creating more
stuff and hoping that it gets recycled.
‘We need a systemic change,’ he says.
‘We should change which kind of materials
we source, how we manufacture, what we
use them for.’ Boelen believes the future
of zero waste involves investing in creating
new materials from renewable sources, such
as algae. To that end, creating better and
more circular materials is on the radar of
major companies, such as H&M, which has
inked a five-year deal with Renewcell,
a textile recycling company that has
invented Circulose, a material made from
Emily Sear, Protest Gear for Adapt. Photographer, Henry Dean unusable textile waste.

Others believe that the answer to

Sustainable Mindsets preventing waste is to create less waste
from the start. For instance, some in the
Consumers’ demand for action on The coronavirus pandemic has also apparel industry are leaning into the
sustainability – commingled with a heightened the need for sustainable pre-order model, where products are
realisation amongst brands and retailers behaviours. The consultancy firm Kearney created based on demand. ‘It’s hard to
that waste reduction offers tangible found that nearly half of consumers are more predict demand so [a pre-order model]
value – is pushing new circular systems. concerned about the environment due to the removes any potential wastage,’ says
pandemic. Moreover, 78% believe companies Cassie Holland, founder of Scottish
Consumer awareness over sustainability should be helping them ‘make decisions that knitwear brand HADES, which offers a
has undergone a massive shift in the last improve environmental outcomes’. mix of pre-order and pre-made products.
decade as the reality of climate change
has made itself apparent. Regular extreme For businesses, catering to this demand is Others are looking to digital ID technology
climate events such as flooding, wildfires, proving to have positive economic benefits. to more efficiently manage inventories,
hurricanes and sweltering heat waves Enterprises who embrace a sustainable identifying and reducing waste from the
have turned climate change into a lived mindset are not only appeasing their start. For the food industry, this could
experience for many. Indeed, in a Pew customer base but finding tangible value mean producing less based on demand
Research Centre survey of 20 nations in in waste reduction. For instance, in a bid to visibility. In the beauty world, products
Europe, Asia and North America, 70% of reduce its carbon footprint yogurt brand are often thrown away due to expiration Sustainable materials company Renewcell has developed

people reported experiencing climate Stonyfield Organics turned waste into a dates prior to reaching the shelves, or are Circulose, a new, eco-friendly fabric that reduces reliance
on virgin cotton, oil production and tree harvesting
change where they live. Since 2015, there resource. Any packaged yogurt that cannot not disposed of properly once they get
has been an increase of at least six points in be sold is now being ‘depackaged’ and diverted into unofficial or unauthorised
those believing climate change to be a very sent to a wastewater treatment digester, sales channels (ie. the grey market). Here
serious problem. In the US, for instance, the producing energy for itself whilst materials digital IDs offer a system to track products,
share raised from 45% to 53% while in Japan like cardboard are recycled and resold. improving inventory accuracy and thereby
it leaped from 45% to 70%. ‘Every cup of yogurt we make has the same reducing waste.
carbon footprint, whether it’s eaten by the
consumer or not,’ says Lisa Drake, director
of sustainability innovation at Stonyfield.
‘If at the end the product is waste, there’s
nothing to show for it.’
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Drivers 4

The Plastics Debate

When it comes to waste, perhaps nothing
is more contentious than plastic. From a
consumer perspective, plastic packaging
has become a visible representation of
humanity’s impact on the planet, with
images of plastic debris floating among
marine life leaving an impressionable mark.
Several different studies show consumers
want to limit their plastic usage. YouGov
found that eight in 10 British consumers are
trying to reduce their plastic waste, while
Boston Consulting Group found that 74%
of consumers are willing to pay more for
sustainable packaging.

But consumer perception does not

necessarily square with the reality of
plastic as a material. Plastic was originally
adopted because it is lightweight and
prevents seepage and food spoilage. While
the production of plastic emits CO2 gases,
the material also contributes to the carbon
emissions reduction thanks to its role in
food packaging, where it limits food waste.
Indeed, in a packaging trial Tesco found
that changes to its packaging could extend
the shelf life of mushrooms and save 460
tonnes of waste annually.

Moreover, plastic’s recyclability has

inherent value. ‘It depends on how you
define a sustainable material,’ says Mariya
Nedelcheva, Product Manager Films at
Avery Dennison. ‘Plastic is considered
unsustainable if it is not recycled. But, if
you look at the lifecycle analysis of plastic,
glass and paper, the latter two are also
detrimental to the environment. It takes
more energy to produce and recycle glass,
and paper is linked to deforestation and
can be recycled fewer times than plastic.’

Additionally, some argue that the

preponderance of plastic within the
economy means it is better to use it rather
than abandon it. ‘Plastic in and of itself is Designer Max Lamb has created study chairs made from 833 plastic water bottles for Indonesian lifestyle group Potato Head

“Plastic in and of itself is an amazing material. It’s light,

an amazing material. It’s light, it’s durable.
If you’ve got a plastic bottle, you could
keep that for 100 years and just keep
reusing it,’ says Andrew Morlet, CEO of the
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. ‘We have an
enormous amount of petrochem-based
plastic in the system now. We need to focus
on how to keep it in the economy and out
it’s durable. If you’ve got a plastic bottle, you could
keep that for 100 years and just keep reusing it.
of the natural system.’

” Andrew Morlet, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Drivers 5

Legislative Tsunami
With the World Bank predicting that Even some of the world’s top producers of
global waste production will increase waste, China and the US, are implementing
by 70% by 2050 if no action is taken, ad hoc laws against waste such as
governments are legislating their way California’s Mandatory Recycled Content
towards zero waste industry. bill and China’s recent restrictions on single-
use plastics, which includes a nationwide
Longstanding governmental programs, ban of plastic bags and a 30% reduction of
such as deposit return schemes, where single-use plastic items in restaurants by
consumers pay a deposit on single-use 2022. Both show that the legislative impetus
containers and are refunded upon return, for brands to change their practices is far
have found remarkable success. In Norway, from slowing down.
for instance, 97% of all plastic bottles
are returned and only 1% end up in the Indeed, with China deciding to ban certain
environment, according to The Guardian. types of waste imports including mixed
While this scheme incentivises consumers to plastics in 2018, the US has been forced to
recycle, governments have also pushed for reckon with its own waste. In February 2020,
businesses to take on more responsibility the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act
for the waste they create. Over the last 20 was introduced in Congress, which would
years, Extended Producer Responsibility mandate EPR and a national deposit return
(EPR) policies – which require brand owners scheme, setting up the potential for the US
and manufacturers to be responsible for to become a leader in waste management.
the entire lifecycle of a product, including
its post-consumer disposal – have become For enterprises, international organisation
popular mechanisms to minimise the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’s recent
environmental impact of waste in places Waste Standard, launched in 2020, offers
like Canada and Europe. companies’ the means to understand their
waste creation in a new light. It expands how
The EU is now seen as a world leader in companies report on waste throughout their
combating waste, aiming to become a value chain, considering its impacts not only
climate neutral circular economy by 2050 on the environment but also society and
through its European Green Deal initiatives. the economy.
The EU’s commitment to amending its
Waste Framework and Packaging Waste All these shifts are in response to pressure
directives, its directive curbing single-use from society. ‘Consumers are demanding
plastics, its Circular Economy Action Plan change which in turn is driving public policy
and its new Chemicals Strategy all signal a decisions,’ says Nedelcheva. ‘Legislation
joint effort to increase recycling, minimise encourages sustainable choices by making
toxic waste and create a baseline of unsustainable choices more expensive. One
sustainability across member states. or two brands enacting change is not enough
to move the market, legislation and good
Leading the charge is France, whose recycling infrastructure need to be in place’.
government enacted the world’s first
Anti-waste Law in February 2020. With
over 100 new measures, the law aims to
change companies’ production methods
and consumer behaviour while boosting
a circular economy. Some of the most
important measures include mandating
environmental qualities of a product on its
packaging and banning companies from
destroying unsold goods such as food and
clothing. In the UK, a Plastic Packaging Tax
will come into force in 2022, which places
a levy of £200 a tonne for any plastic
packaging that is not made of at least
30% recycled plastic.

The Transboundary Loophole by Noud Sleumer uses satellite images to create an open atlas of independent e-waste sites to lay bare a global market and its localised impacts
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures 6

Trends

The classic ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ approach

to waste is undergoing an overhaul, with
innovative businesses changing how waste
is perceived, diverting it from landfills and
eliminating it altogether.
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Trends 7

Valuable Waste
By definition, waste is thought of something Beyond textiles, food offers one of the
that nobody wants or can use – it is there to biggest opportunities to create a circular
be discarded. But waste should be viewed system, considering an estimated 30%
not as useless, but as something that can of food produced globally is wasted,
be harnessed as a resource. Landfills, according to the FAO. Spent grain from
for instance, are brimming with precious the brewing industry – the solid malt that
minerals within discarded electronics. is left behind after the mashing stage – is
Researchers have found there is more gold, one instance of waste being reimagined
palladium and silver within landfills than in as a new product. In New Zealand, the
natural ores in the ground. Upcycled Grain Project uses spent grain
to create crackers, snack bars and energy
Plastic waste also presents an opportunity. balls while Japanese brewery Rise & Win
There is almost too much plastic in Brewing Co flavours its beer with discarded
the world to recycle within existing yuzu peels from local farmers, and offers
infrastructure. ‘The European Union’s goals its spent grain as compost in exchange.
for 2050 and recycling are ambitious,’ says Increasingly, brands will have to showcase
Flor Peña Herron, Sustainability Project where their recycled content comes from,
Leader at Avery Dennison. ‘Currently with the Upcycled Certification Standard
the infrastructure in place to collect and encouraging more transparency standards
separate the materials is not sufficiently for upcycled goods.
developed to enable recyclers to reach
these goals.’ Spanish clothing brand Ecoalf Citrus fruit waste also forms the basis of
views plastic waste as a material. The brand papermaker Favini’s facestock collaboration
works with fishermen worldwide who collect with Avery Dennison, Fasson rCrush Citrus.
plastic while trawling for fish in the ocean. In citrus juice production, 60% of the fruit is
This ocean plastic waste is then processed discarded. The sustainable Crush paper uses
into a new polymer yarn used in Ecoalf’s this waste to create facestock that is made
clothing. ‘Waste is only waste if you waste of 15% citrus pulp and 40% post-consumer
it,’ says Javier Goyenache, founder of waste, combined with Avery Dennison
Ecoalf. ‘We cannot think of waste or trash as adhesives, which ensure the label is durable
something we don’t need’. and recyclable.

The apparel industry wastes an estimated

15-20% of fabric during production but
recycling fabric from the cutting room floor
is another way to reintroduce waste into the
supply chain. Avery Dennison’s Albert Yarn
is produced from the loom waste created
during label production and can be GRS
(Global Recycled Standard) Certified. This
gathered waste is then recycled into a 100%
polyester fabric, a raw material that can rCrush Citrus
be used to create new labels. The fabric is
entirely traceable, since it comes entirely Citrus fruit waste formed the
from one factory. basis of papermaker Favini’s
Fasson rCrush Citrus, a facestock
collaboration with Avery Dennison.
In citrus juice production, 60% of the
fruit is discarded. The sustainable
Crush paper uses this waste to
create facestock that is made of
15% citrus pulp and 40% post-
consumer waste.

Fasson® rCrush Citrus FSC® by Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Trends 8

Embedding Eco-Design
CupClub
One key route to reducing waste is Eco-design is an all-encompassing
CupClub is an innovative returnable designing it out at the initial phases of belief system that ensures products are
packaging service for reusable concept development. ‘Eighty percent of designed not only from the perspective
coffee cups that integrates Digital the decisions you make during the design of the materials used but from a holistic
ID technology to provide complete phase will determine how sustainable your sustainability viewpoint. ‘There is more than
supply chain traceability, helping product will be in the end,’ says Rob Groen just the environmental impact. There is also
retailers reduce single-use plastic in ‘t Wout, Marketing Manager Films at Avery social impact and economic impact,’ says
packaging through trackable Dennison. The World Economic Forum Peña Herron. To that end, Avery Dennison
products and an in-built loyalty (WEF)’s Net Zero Challenge report suggests has implemented eco-design guidelines
scheme, CupClub products produce that key to businesses tackling supply chain that help brands design sustainable
half the carbon footprint of single- emissions is to redesign their products and packaging, taking its entire product lifecycle
use disposable cups over a typical value chains for sustainability. Indeed, some and existing recycling infrastructures
lifecycle. brands are already embedding principles into account. ‘Everything is related to
of eco-design into their products from the education because the first parameter of
beginning, to ensure that the environment is sustainability is if you don’t need it, don’t
at the core of their proposition, rather than make it,’ adds Peña Herron.
an afterthought.

“Eighty percent of the decisions you make

CupClub

Returnable Loops
For a long time recycling has been equated Digital ID technology is enabling these
with throwing a plastic bottle or a paper
box into a certain bin. But now brands are
returnable loops, allowing brands and
retailers to track their products, ensuring
during the design phase will determine how
sustainable your product will be in the end.
expanding the idea of what can be recycled, they stay within the circular system.
creating return systems and novel products CupClub, for instance, works with high

”
where recyclability is part of the appeal. street coffee chains to offer returnable,
reusable, recyclable polypropylene coffee Rob Groen in ‘t Wout, Marketing Manager Films, Avery Dennison
Typically less than 5% of post-consumer cups. CupClub wants to make using the
shoes are recycled, according to the reusable cups as convenient as disposables
Better Shoe Foundation. But start-up by setting up collection bins throughout the Patagonia is another brand leading the
Thousand Fell, whose shoes are made city. The cups are equipped with RFID tags, way on eco-design. Working alongside
from 100% biodegradable, recyclable and allowing the company to follow them along Eco-design at Avery Dennison the Rodale Institute and organic brand
upcyclable materials, aims to change that. their journey from retailer to consumer and Dr. Bronner’s, Patagonia has created a
The brand encourages its customers to back again. Ultimately, CupClub’s service new certification to showcase products
send worn out shoes back with $20 credit uses only half the CO2 of disposables. that are not only organic but stick with
towards the next pair. The old shoes are principles of regenerative agriculture. Any
broken down into recycled raw materials Unilever is also leveraging technology to farms Patagonia Provisions (the company’s
that re-enter the fashion supply chain. monitor the success of its latest refill trial in food brand) works with must adhere to
Pharmacy and personal care chain Boots Europe. Consumers can buy personal care standards for soil health – using practices
is also incentivising recycling through products such as shampoo and shower gel that sequester carbon and improve the soil
its beauty product recycling scheme, in refillable aluminum bottles, which have – as well as animal welfare and farmworker
where customers receive loyalty points QR codes printed on their label, to ensure fairness. This ensures that products are
in exchange for returning empty beauty full traceability during the entire lifecycle created with both the health of people and
containers. In the scheme’s first two months, from first purchase to each repeated refill. health of the planet in mind.
customers recycled one tonne of plastic
and over 100,000 products. Similarly luxury clothing brand Another
Tomorrow embedded principles of eco-
Swiss running brand On’s latest subscription design into its founding ethos. Founder
service Cyclon hints at the future of Vanessa Barboni Hallik set out strict
recyclability-as-service. Each customer principles for her brand, stating that nothing
pays a monthly fee to use their Cyclon created can harm the environment or animals,
running shoes, which are made from and workers must have safe conditions and
recyclable bio-polymers. Once the shoes living wages. To meet this requirement the
are worn out, they can return them for a brand only uses four materials, thanks to
new pair as part of the subscription while their low environmental impact.
the old shoes are recycled.
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Trends 9

Brands are expanding the idea of

what can be recycled, creating return
systems and novel products where
recyclability is part of the appeal.

Floating Farm

Sustainable, urban agriculture

is the ethos of Floating Farm,
a Dutch dairy producer operating
on a floating barge. They turned to
CleanFlaketm technology to better
enable the recycling of their PET
packaging, and switched from Floating Farm, Rotterdam
a standard PE label. This helps
separate the label during the
recycling process, resulting in pure Enhanced Recyclability
PET flakes that can be re-processed
into food-safe applications. Recycling plastic packaging is often Another obstacle to recycling can be Chemical recycling – which uses heat,
complicated by the different types of the package label, which often contains pressure and solvents to break down used
plastics, films and label adhesives used on permanent adhesives that contaminate plastics instead of mechanically crushing
the pack, however, innovations in materials the package and reduce recyclability. But them – offers a route to creating recycled
and design are making it easier to do so. advancements in films and adhesives are polypropylene (rPP) from post-consumer
turning these obstacles into opportunities resin (PCR) that is of the same structural
One solution is mono-materials – creating to enable recycling. Dutch dairy brand quality as virgin PP. Unilever demonstrated
packaging all from the same material, which Floating Farm turned to Avery Dennison’s the potential of rPP in its collaboration with
ensures the package can be easily recycled CleanFlaketm technology to ensure its petrochemical manufacturer SABIC. In 2019,
at its end-of-life. Home cleaning brand packaging aligned with its overall ethos they created Magnum ice cream pots from
Splosh offers customers refillable products as a sustainable urban farm. To enable the food-grade rPP using chemical recycling.
that come in plastic green pouches which recycling of its PET container, the brand Initially launched with 600,000 tubs in three
can be sent back to the brand for recycling. switched from a standard PE label to one markets, the company is now rolling out 7
While plastic bottles used in laundry and using CleanFlaketm. The adhesive easily million tubs across its European markets
home care brands are usually downcycled, separates allowing the label to slip away with plans to go global during 2021. Avery
Splosh can turn its pouches into new during the recycling process, resulting in Dennison has also worked with SABIC to
products thanks to its mono-material. ‘The pure PET flakes that can be processed create the first ever rPP label. The label is
new recycled products will retain the colour into food-grade recycled PET. food-approved and offers a sustainable
of the original pouches which gives them a alternative to standard PP labels.
higher value than the products they were PET is a plastic that can be recycled over
made from,’ says Splosh founder Angus and over and has a relatively high collection Digital ID technology offers another
Grahame. This transforms the economics rate. In the US, PET collection has remained promising route to enhanced recyclability.
of recycling.’ at a steady rate of 29% for the last decade, By giving materials and products digital
according to NAPCOR and in the EU it identifications, companies can trace
stands at 58.2% on average. Polypropylene materials throughout the recycling process
(PP), another commonly used plastic for and ensure that materials are diverted to
packaging, has a recycling rate of just 3%. the correct recycling facilities, enabling
But new methods of recycling coupled with more to be recovered.
infrastructure development promise to
enhance material recyclability in the future,
expanding which plastics can be recycled.
Floating Farm, Rotterdam
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Trends 10

Carbon Labelling
Many consumers don’t know where to begin While the Cool Food Pledge is working
when it comes to making environmentally behind the scenes, food brands like
sound choices. In a survey by Futerra, 88% American fast-casual chain Just Salads
of American and British consumers stated and Swedish supermarket store Felix are
they wanted brands to help them be more bringing carbon labelling to consumers.
environmentally friendly in their daily lives. Just Salads is the first restaurant in the US
Carbon output is one metric brands are now to label its entire menu with their carbon
using to help consumers understand the emissions, while Felix opened a standalone
impact products have on the environment, Climate Store, where each product is priced
with some adding carbon labels to their according to its carbon output.
products to help consumers make more
considerate choices. Carbon awareness is making its way into
other sectors as well. Some beauty brands
The food industry is pushing carbon are touting the carbon neutrality of their
consciousness, with restaurants and products and packaging as a way to signal
packaged good brands alike beginning to their sustainability credentials. Male
add carbon footprint labels and prioritise skincare brand Bulldog announced recently
climate-friendly diets. For brands looking that its signature Original Moisturiser is now
to decrease their CO2 impact, the WEF certified Carbon Neutral. The official label
suggests that reducing food waste, on the packaging signifies that the carbon
improving feeding and increased use of footprint of extracting and processing the
low-intensity fertiliser can avoid 25% product, as well as the packaging have all
of emissions. The Cool Food Pledge is a been offset. The packaging itself is made
platform by the World Resources Institute of sugarcane bioplastic, which reduces
that helps food businesses track the emissions by 19%. Joey Zwillinger, co-CEO of
current climate impact of their menus Allbirds, the footwear brand that publishes
and products and develop new meals and its carbon emissions directly on the soles
recipes with a lower impact. of its shoes, predicts that one day, ‘carbon
footprint labels will be as widespread as
nutritional stickers on food packaging’.

But measuring carbon can be a difficult

task, considering the multiple stakeholders
adidas and atma.io that give off carbon during production.
To make carbon labelling as widespread as
Avery Dennison’s atma.io’s Zwillinger predicts requires greater oversight
connected product cloud is of the supply chain. Technologies such
enabling circularity and unique as Avery Dennison’s atma.io’s connected
consumer-product interactions for product cloud – which assigns unique digital
global sportswear brand adidas. identities to products and stores them in
an end-to-end platform – are making this
“adidas integrated atma.io’s possible, allowing brands to understand
connected product cloud into their carbon footprint at an item level. Using
our Infinite Play initiative to scale digital ID technology, businesses can trace
our ability to buy-back products goods throughout their production cycle,
and give them a second life,” said and dynamically calculate carbon emissions
David Quass, Global Director, as they move through the supply chain,
Brand Sustainability for adidas. offering greater insight into their carbon
“The program has been the first of footprint beyond a static calculation.
many use cases we look to enable
with atma.io and Avery Dennison
to achieve our connected product
vision and our sustainability goals.”

ULTRABOOST DNA LOOP by adidas

Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Trends 11

Extended Lifespan Apparel

Feeling pressure from sustainability- Making connected garments not only
minded consumers, the fashion industry is enables brands to educate consumers but it
rethinking the meaning and value of apparel, also empowers consumers to keep clothing
using technology to limit waste and extend within the loop for longer, key to creating
the life of clothing. a circular fashion system. Resale has seen
a growth in popularity in recent years with
Globally, the world consumes 80 billion new digital thrift store ThredUp predicting the
pieces of clothing every year, according online secondhand market will grow 69%
to the Wall Street Journal and the fashion between 2019 and 2021. adidas’ Infinite Play
industry thrives on newness. But designer program is one example of how a brand can
Christopher Raeburn believes the entire facilitate reuse. The program allows owners
system needs an overhaul. He launched of adidas clothing, shoes and accessories
Raefound, a non-seasonal range of old, to return them to the brand, where they
unworn military clothing and accessories can be repaired and sold again, or recycled
that he himself sourced, with the value if they are beyond repair. ‘When it comes
being Raeburn’s personal curation. Its to sustainability and waste, the ability to
tagline is: ‘Nothing new, nothing wasted’. connect products and then track data
‘Making more stuff isn’t the answer to the around its usage, around where it came
environmental crisis that we’re in,’ the from, where it’s going and its conditions,
designer says. ‘We need to do a better job can help drive much more efficient and
considering the production [of clothing and] sustainable supply chains,’ explains Max
our relationship to waste.’ Winograd, VP, Connected Products at
Avery Dennison Smartrac.
Designer Priya Ahluwalia has a similar ethos,
breathing new life into deadstock fabrics
and vintage clothing and repurposing
them to create her men’s collections. To
offer customers’ insight to this approach,
Ahluwalia partnered with Avery Dennison
during Global Fashion Agenda’s CFS+ on a
bespoke intelligent label that delves into
the past, present and future of a sweater
from her SS21 collection. By scanning the
label, it is possible to discover where the
material was sourced from, how to care
for it to extend its life and how to dispose
of it responsibly when the time comes.
Hong-Kong brand The R Collective created
a similar digital ID label for its upcycled
garments, in collaboration with Levi’s. The
upcycled denim has an Avery Dennison-
powered label, which provides advice on
how to care for the garments to give them
longevity as well as recycling tips.

rCollective
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures 12

As more governments and businesses commit

to a zero waste future, there will be increased
investments in novel materials as well as
technologies and systems that promise to
reduce waste, increase sustainable impact
and scale up circularity.

Futures
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Futures 13

Biomimicry Materials
Achieving zero waste in manufacturing Designers are also experimenting with Others are looking to food waste and by-
requires multiple approaches. While algae in fashion. New York interdisciplinary products of the food industry to create new
recycling existing materials is vital, many designer Charlotte McCurdy created a materials. Tômtex is a flexible bio-material
designers are researching new materials water-resistant jacket made entirely of by Vietnamese designer Uyen Tran that
that mimic the cycles of nature, where biopolymers derived from marine algae. offers a flexible alternative to leather. Made
resources are grown, used and then degrade She describes the bioplastic material as of discarded crustacean shells and coffee
back into the system to regenerate anew. carbon negative because its material, the grounds, the textile can be embossed and
algae, naturally sequesters carbon. ‘[This is as durable as real leather while being
Algae is a promising material thanks to the raincoat] builds a path to where materials biodegradable should it end up in a landfill.
fact that it is biodegradable, edible and can combat climate change,’ she says. Similarly, design agency PriestmanGoode
available in abundance. As one of the fastest envisioned a future of takeaway packaging
growing organisms in the world, it constantly Mycelium – the root system of fungi – working with materials designers to
regenerates in the world’s oceans. Takeaway is another fast-growing material gaining create different disposable, durable yet
service Just Eat is collaborating with popularity. Material technology company environmentally-friendly offerings. One
packaging startup Notpla to find uses for Bolt Threads is now working with a uses cacao waste from industrial chocolate
algae in the takeaway experience. In 2019, consortium of brands including adidas production, whilst another is made of
they piloted a program offering ketchup and Stella McCartney to bring Mylo, its Piñatex, a material made from pineapple
and mayonnaise in seaweed-based sachets mycelium-based leather to the masses. plant’s leaf fibers, usually thrown out during
that dissolve in a compost bin. In 2020 they One benefit of the vegan leather is that it pineapple harvesting.
experimented with the Notpla box, the can be grown and harvested in less than
company’s takeaway paper box that is lined two weeks, before being tanned and While each of these are experimental, they
with a seaweed and plant-based coating embossed to look like leather. offer a vision of future materials that mimic
to make it water-resistant and greaseproof. the circular rhythm of nature by design.
The coating makes the box both recyclable
and home compostable.

Design studio PriestmanGoode collaborated with six partners to create bento-style containers from materials that are either biodegradable or re-usable, including Piñatex and cacao by-products

Biotech pioneer Bolt Threads is working with fashion brands to

scale up production of Mylo, the mycelium-based leather and
alternative to animal skins that it has developed

While recycling existing materials

is vital, many designers are
researching new materials that
mimic the cycles of nature.
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Futures 14

Lifecycle Visibility
In order to reduce waste, we need to know Avery Dennison’s experience working
where it is occurring along the supply chain. with the beauty industry found that
New digital platforms and technologies are overproduction is a serious issue when it
opening up supply chain transparency, comes to managing waste. In one instance
which will in turn enable more circular between 20-30% of a beauty retailer’s
systems. These technologies promise the inventory was either out of season or past
ability to trace raw materials, prevent waste expiry date, making them unsellable. Eye
before it begins, improve post-consumer makeup such as mascara, has a limited shelf
recycling and create a new value system life (as little as three months in some cases
by which to judge products. after opening), making its disposal more
complex. Overproduction can also occur
Digital watermarks is one promising due to beauty products getting lost in the
technology that aims to minimise waste in supply chain and ending up on the grey
packaging. The Holy Grail project by AIM, market. Using digital IDs allows brands to
the European Brands Association, brings keep track of their products throughout the
together over 85 companies across the supply chain, preventing diversion into the
packaging supply chain, including Avery grey market and unnecessary production.
Dennison, to use digital watermarks to
enable higher recycling rates. One of the Having lifecycle visibility means companies
biggest problems with post-consumer could not only trace products, but raw
plastics is ineffective sorting. But digital materials as well, building a more holistic
watermarks, which exist as an invisible (to picture of their business’s waste footprint.
the human eye) layer on packaging, can be Connected product cloud atma.io’s ability
scanned by a camera to turn the package to trace raw materials (alongside products)
into an intelligent object. ‘Watermarks can allows both brands and consumers alike
help recyclers make sure the right things go to understand a product’s impact on
in the right place’ explains Peña Herron. This the environment and can encourage
means the right type of polymers will be more sustainable supply chains and
recycled together, increasing the quality of consumption. Indeed, if consumers can see
the material that gets recycled. the entire lifecycle of a product, it might
change their purchase decision around it.
The ability to trace plastics and sort more ‘It can help empower consumers to make
efficiently is one route to reducing waste, more ecologically-conscious decisions
but by turning products into digital entities, around which products to buy based on
waste can actually be eliminated from the its carbon-footprint for instance,’ says
start through more accurate inventory Winograd. ‘It’s about creating that visibility
management. In the beauty industry, where and intelligence at the item level.’
expiration dates and complex packaging
can result in excess waste, using RFID
technology to create digital identities
for products can offer visibility and new
efficiencies for an industry that produces
more than 120 billion units of packaging
globally each year.

By turning products into digital

entities, waste can be eliminated
from the start through more
accurate inventory management
Beauty and wellness brand Haeckels has launched zero-waste eye masks that are grown to order from agar that it cultivates in-house
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Futures 15

Circular Ecosystems
In order to achieve circularity at scale,
there needs to be buy-in and collaboration
from multiple stakeholders all along the
supply chain – from product design,
packaging and production to consumers
to end-of-life disposal. In the apparel
industry, new consortiums and
collaborations are offering a blueprint
for how to close the loop on production.

Swedish company Renewcell has Taking collaboration one step further is

announced that vintage store chain The New Cotton Project, an EU-funded
Beyond Retro will act as a supplier for consortium that seeks to prove circular
the company’s future recycling plant in fashion is possible at scale. The consortium
Sweden. Beyond Retro will supply 30,000 brings together a group of 12 brands,
metric tonnes of old jeans and cotton that academics, manufacturers, textile recycling
could not be sold secondhand. Renewcell and waste processing companies. During
will then use its proprietary technology the three year project, Finnish biotech
to create Circulose, a new textile made company Infinited Fibre will provide its
from recycled cotton. Circulose is a virgin- chemically recycled cellulose fibres to
grade textile that is already being used the H&M Group and adidas for use in their
by brands such as Levi’s and H&M in their clothing lines. Despite the fact that the two
existing manufacturing ecosystems, but brands are competitors in the marketplace,
currently in a limited-edition capacity. This the decision to work together to invest in
new partnership with Beyond Retro will new innovation represents how circularity
enable Renewcell to offer textile-to-textile can occur on a wider level. ‘What we have
recycling on an industrial level. noticed is, in order to get something like
chemical recycling off the ground, more
than one brand is needed,’ says Kathleen
Rademan, of Fashion for Good.

While these examples are specifically in the

fashion world, they are representative of
the movement occurring across industries,
which are tackling the dizzying amount of
waste created by mass consumption. A
cross-industry, collaborative approach to
innovation and creating new partnerships
to build circular ecosystems will be key to
the future of zero waste. ‘We all need to
collaborate,’ affirms Avery Dennison’s Groen
in ‘t Wout. ‘[Waste] is not a problem of Avery
Dennison or a problem of brand owners. It is
everybody’s problem, and we need to solve
it collectively. This is absolutely crucial.’

H&M’s transparent Looop store allows outsiders to watch garments being recycled, repositioning the store environment as a theatrical, service-led space
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures 16

Key Takeouts
Creating a world where waste is both
lessened and prevented will require
→ Eco-design is essential to eliminating → Waste reduction requires a joint effort
different approaches to different issues. waste from the outset. This means taking from brands, suppliers, manufacturers and
‘There is no one-size-fits-all solution out into account not only the environmental consumers. No single entity will be able to
there,’ says Tyler Chaffo, Manager of Global
Sustainability, at Avery Dennison. Instead, impact of a product or packaging, but its solve the problem on their own, so invest-
each sector will have to create calculations economic and social impact as well. ing in innovation with competitors in your
around the materials they use, their environ-
mental impact, where waste occurs on the industry can propel systemic change.
supply chain and where it can be eliminated
→ Waste does not have to be negative.
→ In the future, products will be valued
for the most sustainable outcome.
Can we create a world without waste
In order to build a zero waste future,
businesses must consider: by reframing it as a valuable resource to based on their entire lifecycle analysis,
create new products and avoid extracting from the materials that are used to their
virgin materials from the earth? full recyclability.

→ Recycling remains a crucial lynchpin of → Technologies such as digital IDs and

any waste reduction strategy. Businesses intelligent labels will enable a level of
should invest in increasing the recyclability supply chain visibility that we’ve never
of their products but also in educating had before. Tracing raw materials and
consumers on how to recycle effectively. inventory allows businesses to create
more efficient production decisions and
→ The legislative tide against waste will track any unavoidable waste so that it
continue to swell. If your business isn’t can be embedded back in the system –
already determining how to eliminate fostering a truly circular economy.
unnecessary waste and create solutions
for end-of-life products, you risk being
caught out in the near future.
 Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Key Takeouts 17

Food and Drink

→ Food waste offers one of the best

opportunities for circularity. The
by-products of food production
can be used not only within the
food industry to create new
products, but also as materials
source for other industries.

→ There is a need to balance decisions

around packaging for food and drink
products, weighing out durability
and longevity with its recyclability
and sustainability. Companies must
consider whether the materials,
adhesives and films used in their
packaging complement one another
during the recycling process.

→ Consumers are seeking to make

more environmentally friendly
choices. Carbon labelling allows
brands to create food and drink
products with lower impact, while
also giving consumers the chance
to understand the environmental
consequence of wasted food.

By planting forests, switching to wind power and turning spent grain into green gas, BrewDog has become the world’s first carbon-negative beer business
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Key Takeouts 18

Apparel

→ New models of circularity are gaining

steam among consumers, especially
when it comes to clothing. The
popularity of resale and second-
hand clothing gives an opportunity
to extend the lifespan of apparel
and keep it in the loop for longer.

→ Digital IDs embedded in clothing

labels offer an educational touch-
point between customers and
brands. Brands can use the labels Beauty
to not only offer traceability and
stories of provenance, but also to
provide guidance on how to care → Beauty products’ limited shelf-life
and the problematic grey market
for garments and recycle them
make it even more important to have
responsibly, while also being one
oversight of the entire supply chain.
of the fastest growing models in
The ability to track and trace beauty
the apparel industry.
inventory will enable brands to
→ The apparel industry’s collective limit waste from the offset as well
as prevent diversion and any waste
search for textile-to-textile recycling
that occurs as a result.
solutions offers a blueprint for
scaling circularity. Joining together
to invest in material innovation → Beauty products’ multi-layered
packaging needs complicates
is one way to build new circular
recyclability. Creating refillable
ecosystems.
packaging, returnable loops or
packaging from more easily
recycled mono-materials all offer
more sustainable routes forward.

→ If packaging cannot be refillable,

can it be carbon neutral or even
carbon positive? Increasingly,
consumers will be using their carbon
footprint as a purchasing decision.
Forward-thinking beauty brands
are already using carbon as a way
to market their sustainability.

Burberry collaborated with WeChat to launch a social retail shopping concept in Shenzhen that integrates gaming, social media and e-commerce into a bricks-and-mortar environment
Avery Dennison x The Future Laboratory Zero Waste Futures Key Takeouts 19

Materials

→ Plastic has a perception problem.

Brands should educate consumers
around why the use of plastic or bio-
plastic might offer the best solution
for their packaging. Take Bulldog, for
instance, who explains why it uses
bioplastic packaging as part of its
efforts to reduce emissions.

→ The ability to trace raw materials will

make recycling more efficient. If we
can sort different polymers together,
we can increase the quality and
durability of recycled materials.

→ Future innovation in materials will

be inspired by nature’s cycles.
Can we create materials that are
renewable – which can be used and
when discarded, feed back into the
system to once again re-enter the
supply chain?

Designed in collaboration with scientists at VTT Technical Research Centre, Finnish studio Aivan’s Korvaa headphones are created using materials grown by microbes
Avery Dennison Featured Experts CONTACT OUR DIGITAL ID EXPERTS

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials Tyler Chaffo

science company specializing in the design and manufacture of Manager of Global Sustainability
a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s Smartrac, Avery Dennison
products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include CONTACT OUR MATERIALS EXPERTS
pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; Rob Groen in ‘t Wout
tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical, and Marketing Manager Films
retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; Labels and Packaging Materials,
and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail Avery Dennison
apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California,
the company employs more than 32,000 employees in more than Mariya Nedelcheva
50 countries. Reported sales in 2020 were $7.0 billion. Learn more Product Manager Films
at averydennison.com. Labels and Packaging Materials,
Avery Dennison

Flor Peña Herron

The Future Laboratory Sustainability Project Leader
Labels and Packaging Materials,
The Future Laboratory is one of the world’s leading strategic Avery Dennison
foresight consultancies. It exists to help companies make a better
future by giving them the confidence to take the decisions today Max Winograd
that will create economic, environmental, technological and social Co-Founder, atma.io
growth tomorrow. From its offices in London and Melbourne, The Vice-President, Connected Products
Future Laboratory offers a range of strategic foresight products and Smartrac, Avery Dennison
services to help its clients harness market trends, adapt to emerging
consumer needs, and keep them ahead of their competitors. Stay
on top of the latest consumer trends and market shifts by visiting its
trends intelligence platform, lsnglobal.com, and find out more about
its client work at thefuturelaboratory.com.

Illustrations by Muti – Folio Art