Avery Dennison’s RFID Label earns APR Award for recyclability

USA – Avery Dennison has become the first company to earn the Association of Plastic Recyclers’ (APR) Design for Recyclability (DfR) recognition for a radio-frequency identification (RFID) label.

This landmark approval validates the label’s compatibility with North America’s PET recycling stream, helping to eliminate contamination and improve recycling outcomes.

The breakthrough comes from integrating Avery Dennison’s proprietary CleanFlake adhesive technology with its material science expertise and RFID innovation.

The resulting RFID label cleanly separates from PET containers during the mechanical recycling process, allowing more high-quality recycled material to be recovered.

As polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used in bottles, food packaging, cosmetics, and household products, innovations like this are crucial to advancing large-scale plastic circularity.

This development holds particular importance given that 96% of the world’s top 50 brands have committed to improving packaging recyclability.

RFID-enabled labels provide not only product-level tracking for supply chain optimization but also unlock smarter recycling by identifying individual items during sortation.

“Avery Dennison’s solution supports brands in achieving their sustainability goals without compromising efficiency or traceability,” said Pascale Wautelet, Vice President, Global R&D and Sustainability at Avery Dennison Materials Group.

“APR’s recognition reflects a pivotal step toward more circular and intelligent packaging design.”

Steve Alexander, President and CEO of APR, echoed this, emphasizing the need for packaging innovations that align with existing recycling infrastructure.

“Smart technologies like this enhance recyclability, drive down contamination, and make it easier for brands to meet evolving regulatory and sustainability requirements,” he said.

This recognition aligns with Avery Dennison’s ongoing track record in sustainable innovation. In recent years, the company also introduced its CleanFlake label solution for washable adhesives on PET bottles, which earned similar acclaim and contributed to cleaner recycling streams.

Other packaging leaders such as Nestlé and Coca-Cola have also explored recyclable smart labels and scannable packaging to enhance sortation and brand transparency.

Avery Dennison plans to roll out the APR-recognized RFID label technology later this year and is working with global certification bodies to broaden PET recyclability recognition in other markets.

As brands increasingly seek packaging solutions that align with circular economy principles, Avery Dennison’s innovation stands out as a transformative step in reducing plastic waste through smarter, recycling-compatible design.

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