Avery Dennison named as a finalist in the 2018 edie Sustainability Leaders Award
Avery Dennison has been recognised by edie, an information resource for companies focused on sustainability, as a finalist in the 2018 Sustainability Leaders Awards. Avery Dennison was named in the Employee Engagement and Behavioural Change category for Sustainable September, its annual sustainability employee engagement campaign.
“We reach out to employees to encourage sustainability year-round,” said Amy White, vice president, communications at Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials. “Sustainable September is our biggest, most concerted effort. For a full month, we communicate to employees globally through a variety of channels and empower them to share their ideas, efforts and enthusiasm with their colleagues.”
This year’s campaign theme ‘Together We Can’ focused on moving from individual to collective action. The theme was a natural progression from the ‘Change Begins with Me’ theme in 2016, which underscored the idea that sustainability depends on the contribution of every individual. As a result of the campaign, 81 per cent of employees reported having a better understanding of the company’s sustainability goals, and 84 per cent said they planned to take action to operate more sustainably at work, at home, or in their community.
Avery Dennison is one of the materials science and manufacturing-industry leaders in sustainability, focused on improving the social and environmental impacts of its own operations, as well as the impacts of its suppliers and customers. In 2015, the company announced eight sustainability goals it intends to reach by 2025: at least a three per cent absolute reduction in greenhouse gasses year over year; sourcing 100 per cent certified-claim paper, of which 70 per cent will be Forest Stewardship Council–certified; becoming 95 per cent landfill-free, with at least 75 per cent of waste reused, repurposed or recycled; and eliminating 70 per cent of matrix and liner as waste from the value chain.
The company’s progress is highlighted in its most recent sustainability report, All of Us, Every Day, a title that speaks to the importance of employee commitment in creating companywide change.
Other finalists for the Employee Engagement and Behavioural Change award include Hilton, Freedom Group, Landsec and UK Green Building Council, London Metropolitan University, Swansea University, University of London, Pukka Herbs and Do Nation, Unite Students and the NUS, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.
“It’s an honour to be named among such a diverse group of organisations that are finding new ways to capture employees’ imaginations and engage them in effecting change,“ Amy White said. “Sustainability depends on the level of dedication among employees, from executive leadership on down. It’s inspiring to see so many companies demonstrating commitment across all levels of the organisation, where the mechanics of sustainability happen daily. We’re proud to stand among them.”