Avery Dennison RFID tags approved for PET bottle recycling

Avery Dennison has reported that its AD CleanFlake RFID tags have officially secured RecyClass Technology Approval in Europe.  

Building on the portfolio’s existing Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Design Recognition in North America, Avery Dennison is now the first manufacturer to offer an RFID technology recognized by both major regional bodies for compatibility with mechanical PET recycling streams, according to the company. 

With regional recognitions spanning plastic reclamation frameworks — covering rigid PET packaging in North America and PET bottles in Europe — multinational brand owners can now utilize a technically unified label construction across international supply chains. This cross-regional compatibility supports brands in deploying high-performance tracking while streamlining material sourcing and structural packaging data for international reporting. 

The AD CleanFlake RFID from Avery Dennison represents a dual-innovation breakthrough. It is built on Avery Dennison's proprietary CleanFlake adhesive technology paired with a patent-pending RFID inlay and label construction. The combination ensures that RFID tags are separated cleanly from rigid PET during the mechanical recycling process. This extraction avoids adhesive and metal contamination, leaving the PET flakes suitable for reuse without sacrificing the operational benefits that RFID delivers.   

Supporting Design-for-Recycling (DfR) in the PET packaging market PET is one of the most widely used packaging materials in the world, commonly found in beverage bottles, food containers, household and cosmetics packaging, making its recyclability critical to reducing plastic waste at scale. With 96 percent of the top 50 CPG brands committed to recyclability and waste management targets, the pressure to find solutions that work within existing recycling infrastructure has never been greater.

That pressure is reinforced by the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which requires brands to demonstrate recyclability at scale. RecyClass Technology Approval verifies that AD CleanFlake RFID products are technically optimized to fit into these evolving circular packaging workstreams without disrupting established mechanical PET recycling. The use of recycling-compatible RFID inlays, tags and adhesives improves material recovery and sortation rates, while supporting brand owners in meeting sustainability goals. 

Pascale Wautelet, vice president, global R&D and sustainability, Avery Dennison Materials Group, said: ‘When APR recognized the AD CleanFlake RFID products, it validated that RFID and PET recyclability no longer have to be in conflict. We’re proud that RecyClass Technology Approval validates our RFID tag compatibility with the European PET bottles recycling stream. Brands operating across North America and Europe now have a single, approved solution that works within both recycling infrastructures, without compromise.’ 

Paolo Glerean, chairman, RecyClass, added: ‘The core purpose of RecyClass Technology Approval is to advance and recognize circular packaging technologies through science-based testing methodologies that evaluate recyclability. Given the stringent criteria applied, combined with Avery Dennison's clear commitment to advancing circularity on a global scale, this Approval serves as a testament that recyclable solutions are readily available on the market and jointly we can work towards achieving the upcoming legislative targets.’