Avery Dennison Labels and Packaging Materials has announced its partnership with Tosca.
The partnership means the company can switch a substantial portion of its product distribution across the continent to plastic pallets with a goal to save over 800 tons of carbon emissions from its European supply chain annually.
Since plastic pallets are more durable than their wooden counterparts they can be re-used more often and are less prone to breakages which can help reduce the risk of damage and waste in the supply chain. Tosca estimates that its plastic pallets can be used over one hundred times and at end of life, are recycled.
The collaboration with Tosca will cover the distribution of materials from Avery Dennison factories and distribution centres across the EU as well as the UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. Deployments will gradually phase in over the course of the next year. The agreement allows Avery Dennison’s network of partners to also join the pooling program under favourable terms to cover the onward freight of finished materials to brands and other end users.
Tosca operates a pooling model and delivers clean empty pallets from its service centres located across Europe, to Avery Dennison sites. The service is fully managed with pallets inspected and washed after every rotation by Tosca. At the end of every year, Avery Dennison and its customers that take part in the pooling program will receive a carbon emissions reduction certificate. Tosca predicts that Avery Dennison alone could save 819 tons of carbon emissions annually by switching all its Euro-sized wooden pallets (1200x800mm) to Tosca.
The pooling program has been tested for almost one year for shipments from Avery Dennison distribution centre in Dublin to customers in Ireland.
Violeta Gómez, central packaging leader at Avery Dennison said, ‘The pooling program has been a massive success in Ireland and is helping us to reduce our carbon footprint and eliminate waste within the supply chain. Customers appreciate the fact that plastic pallets offer standard quality: they are cleaner (dust-free) and with less risk of damaging their products.’
Felix Van Ouytsel, business development manager at Tosca, added, ‘Tosca provides solutions that enable companies across the world to eliminate wasted materials, miles, space and labour to make the entire supply chain more sustainable. As the largest pooler of plastic pallets in Europe, we deliver a combination of reusable products, a flexible global service network and a committed partnership which will benefit Avery Dennison and its customers. We look forward to this partnership and are very happy to welcome Avery Dennison to the Tosca family.’
