Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2019: Avery Dennison Proposes Next Generation Sustainable Materials

As Avery Dennison turns challenges into opportunities, sustainability has never looked so good!

Although Sustainability is a vast and complex issue, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit’s objective is to mobilise the global fashion system to change the way we produce, market and consume fashion. Among the many companies offering solutions this season was Avery Dennison. A worldwide leader in adhesive technologies, Avery Dennison worked closely with Copenhagen Fashion Summit, who are celebrating their 10th year, to research, develop and curate the Design Studio’s contents, participants and masterclasses.

Albert Yarn Image Credit: Avery Dennison

Finding Solutions That Bring About Positive and Sustainable Change

From material research and innovation to developing on-demand manufacturing capabilities to realizing the technology that places transparency in the hands of the end consumer, Avery Dennison has been navigating the complexity of sustainability issues to develop a smarter, more responsible, and more efficient strategies that anticipate future needs.

“Our practices of designing, developing and testing sustainable products, systems and strategies underpin everything we do. We strive to be a force for good in the apparel and footwear industry, collaborating with our partners to reduce environmental impact, advance the circular economy, and offer you an innovative toolbox of sustainable design solutions,” stated their press release.

N.G.S.M (Next Generation Sustainable Materials) Image Credit: Avery Dennison

On 15-16 May 2019 at the Copenhagen Concert Hall, Avery Dennison presented ten solutions at the summit. Hoping to bring about a positive and sustainable change on environmental, social and ethical issues facing our industry and planet, Avery Dennison’s first solution was printed Fabric Labels. With an estimated 150 million tons of plastic, Avery Dennison worked with Plastic Bank to come up with Printed Fabric Labels created to help to reduce ocean plastics.

The second solution was Avery Dennison’s Agilit Heat Transfers produced to give unused, surplus clothing a second life. Made to revive, the Agility Heat Transfers could solve the problem of unsold, unwanted deadstock that is costly and wastes space.

Thirdly, are tags made from organic waste. The tags have been created to aid in the reduction and over-use of virgin wood pulp, and give a productive purpose to agricultural waste from corn, grape and citrus harvests. The fourth solution is Kraft Paper Bags. The plastic-free packaging alternative provides a high-performance, plastic-free solution to a problem that sees e-commerce shipments relying on plastic packaging that uses large amounts of scarce raw materials.

Made for cyclability, the fifth solution is Avery Dennison’s BioFlex, a sustainable, cyclable alternative that’s identical in appearance to polyethene (PE) packaging. The sixth is Janela. Made for intelligence Avery Dennison’s Janela™ solution gives apparel and footwear items their own unique digital identity that connects to the internet.

Their seventh offering, designed to minimize our own waste, is Avery Dennison’s Albert Yarn. 100% polyester, with a natural touch and feel, Albert Yarn reimagines textile waste as a resource. The eighth solution is transparency. Conscious consumers want to support brands that have integrity and purpose. Powered by EVRYTHNG, Avery Dennison’s blockchain solution provides brands such as the 1019 ALYX 9SM fashion label, designed by Matthew Williams, with full supply chain transparency.

The ninth is Woven Patches created to help brands avoid unnecessary wastage. Finally, the tenth solution introduced at the summit was Avery Dennison’s Greenprint analysis tool. It provides a comprehensive assessment of materials — made to assess impact, and helps in the evaluation and balancing of many different factors ensuring that the path to sustainable manufacturing is made easier.

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Founding Editor in Chief at FashNerd.com | editor@fashnerd.com | Website

Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.