FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--()--Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) division, a global leader in apparel and footwear industry solutions, has become the first solution provider to join the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a newly formed organization committed to addressing the apparel and footwear industry’s sustainability challenges.
Composed of leading brands, retailers, manufacturers, non-government associations, academic experts and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Apparel Coalition is dedicated to bringing greater environmental insight and transparency into the goods we produce. As a founding member, Avery Dennison will have the opportunity to collaborate with leading global apparel brands and utilize its knowledge of sustainable solutions via the Avery Dennison™ GreenPrint tool.
“Avery Dennison is committed to delivering sustainable solutions for our customers through tools such as Avery Dennison™ GreenPrint that can help increase product appeal while reducing our impact on the earth,” said Shawn Neville, president, Avery Dennison RBIS. “As a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition we look forward to leveraging our expertise to develop a universal approach for measuring and evaluating product sustainability performance across the apparel industry, further supporting our customers’ and the industry’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing.”
As a product lifecycle analysis assessment tool, Avery Dennison™ GreenPrint quantifies the impact of supply chain processes and packaging, to develop standards and tools that optimize sustainable products and manage their environmental and social impacts, as well as drive innovation through the supply chain. Avery Dennison RBIS’ growing selection of more sustainable products includes recycled hangtag fasteners, paperboard hangers and water-based inks and adhesives.
“We are pleased to welcome Avery Dennison to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition,” says Jason Kibbey, executive director, Sustainable Apparel Coalition. “As the Coalition’s first solution provider member, we look forward to the unique contributions that Avery Dennison can offer.”
Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s first project is to create a universal Index for sustainability practices that will set a standard for apparel manufacturing that takes into account energy usage, fair labor practices, waste removal methods and water quality. Designed as a business-to-business tool for internal decision-making, the Index will include more supply-chain-specific quantitative data to deliver a truly comprehensive product footprint score. All of the members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition have agreed to support the collection of this data and make a commitment to developing more sustainable practices. The results of the Index will be a resource for product designers, technical development teams, material suppliers, manufacturers and retail buyers. Currently in beta testing stage, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition expects to launch the Index for public use in 2012.
About Avery Dennison RBIS
Avery Dennison RBIS, a global leader in integrated apparel and footwear industry solutions serving the global marketplace, is a $1.5 billion division of Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY). Avery Dennison RBIS provides intelligent, creative and sustainable solutions to elevate brands and accelerate performance throughout the global retail supply chain. The company’s industry leading solutions include proprietary heat transfer technology, labeling, packaging, inventory management/loss prevention, price management, brand protection, and RFID. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, Avery Dennison RBIS, employs 20,000 in 50 countries in 115 offices. For more information, visit www.rbis.averydennison.com.
Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY) helps make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent. The company is a global leader in pressure-sensitive technology and materials and retail branding and information solutions. A Fortune 500 company with sales of $6 billion from continuing operations in 2011, Avery Dennison is based in Pasadena, California with employees in more than 60 countries. For more information, visit www.averydennison.com.
About Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition is a group of leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, and manufacturers who are taking a collaborative approach to reducing environmental and social impacts of their industries to bring greater environmental insight and transparency into the goods we produce.
Current Membership includes the following organizations: Adidas, Arvind Mills, ASICS, Avery Dennison RBIS, C&A, Columbia Sportswear, Clariant, The Coca-Cola Company, Duke Center for Sustainability and Commerce, DuPont, DyStar, Environmental Defense Fund, Esprit, Esquel, Gap Inc., H&M, HanesBrands, Huntsman, INDITEX, Intradeco, JC Penney, Kohl’s Department Stores, Lenzing, Levi Strauss & Co., Li & Fung Limited, L.L.Bean, Inc., Makalot Industrial Company, Marks & Spencer, MAS Active, Mountain Equipment Co-op, New Balance, Nike, Nordstrom, Otto Group, Outdoor Industry Association, Patagonia, Pentland Brands, Pratibha Syntex Limited, PUMA, Ramatex Group, REI, TAL Apparel, Target, Teijin Fibers Limited, Textile Exchange, Timberland, Tiong Liong Corporation, University of Delaware, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Utrecht University, Verité, VF Corp, Walmart, WL Gore & Associates, and WRI.