MADRID — Sustainability stole the show at numerous booths at the recent Fruit Attraction, where global avocado company Westfalia took a fun, whimsical and practical approach to the serious subject by featuring a caricaturist in its booth who drew portraits on paper made from upcycled avocado skins and stones.
“Today we’re showcasing our work toward valorizing the entire avocado supply chain — that’s using everything,” Global Brand Manager Matthew Churchill told The Packer.
Westfalia began these efforts by redirecting the “reject percentage” of the fruit it ships whole globally into products such as guacamole and puree to get the most value from the fruit. But as this process still involved waste in the form of skins and stones, Churchill said the company began exploring more uses for the entire fruit.
Westfalia’s journey to zero waste started about five years ago when it began using avocado stones in cosmetics as a scrub agent, “replacing harmful microplastics,” Churchill explained.
“We want to add value to the entire avocado supply chain — no waste. Zero waste,” he said.
The next stage of its sustainability journey is the production of paper, 30% of which is made from avocado skins and stones. Churchill says Westfalia’s ultimate goal is to make avocado packaging from the paper.
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