Crush Barley, a sustainable label material made from industrial waste

Agency
Favini
Client
Avery Dennison
Material
Fasson® Crush Barley
Market
Europe, North America

Sustainability is a growing trend in North America and Europe across the consumer goods sector. In packaging, specifically, it’s becoming more important than ever that brands consider sustainability when creating and designing their products. Consumers are looking to purchase from brands that align with their values, and recent future trends research suggests that the use of alternative packaging materials is on the rise.

Patented in the ‘90s, Shiro Alga Carta was the first paper created from the upcycling principle. To create it, papermaker Favini used algae from the Venice Lagoon in lieu of tree pulp. The success of the project, which had international significance, inspired their research and development team to find other ingredients for sustainable papers that could act as a full or partial alternative to virgin tree pulp. 

Last year, the papermaker partnered with Avery Dennison to make one of their newest sustainable papers into a sustainable label material. Fasson Crush Barley is a circular economy success story; the paper is made from industrial by-products of barley processing from the production of whiskey and beer.


A natural choice for wine and spirits
Barley is used today to create malted barley, one of the main ingredients for brewing beer and malt whiskey, among other fermented beverages. Fasson Crush Barley is made from a combination of post-consumer waste (40%) and barley (15%) that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.

 


Here’s a quick look at how the Crush Barley facestock is made:


A sustainable label made from industrial waste
To become a label material, Favini’s sustainable paper is paired with an Avery Dennison adhesive, which is designed to maintain the integrity of the facestock--including tactility, visual aesthetic, and printability--while ensuring the finished pressure-sensitive label can withstand the demands of production, use, and recyclability.

 


Fasson Crush Barley was one material featured at Labelexpo 2019, the international trade show for labeling. The material was also launched in the US in 2020 and featured at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium.

To learn about the inspiration behind the Crush range and order a sample of materials, check out Of the earth, by the earth, for the earth: New Crush range of sustainable label facestock.