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Westfalia Fruit Unveils Eco-Friendly Avocado-Based Paper and Packaging Innovations at Fruit Attraction 2024

Westfalia Fruit Unveils Eco-Friendly Avocado-Based Paper and Packaging Innovations at Fruit Attraction 2024 Bio-based, events, food and drink packaging, food and drink sustainable packaging, Food packaging, paper Food and Beverage Business

Westfalia Fruit, a leading multinational supplier of avocados and various fruits, is dedicated to the comprehensive utilization of avocado components throughout its supply chain. Notably, the company has developed a proof of concept for paper products derived from 25-30% avocado waste. This initiative exemplifies their commitment to minimizing waste while maximizing resource efficiency.

The company’s innovation was prominently displayed during its participation at Fruit Attraction 2024 in Madrid, commemorating 75 years of leadership in the industry. Attracting over 100,000 visitors, the event served as an excellent platform to showcase this sustainable food and drink packaging solution, which repurposes avocado skins and seeds into eco-friendly packaging materials. Attendees at Westfalia Fruit’s stand had the unique opportunity to engage with the avocado-based paper in real-time. A live caricature artist illustrated on the paper, further showcasing its practical application.

Although recycled paper and cardboard are widely recognized as sustainable choices, the repeated process of recycling can compromise the integrity of the fibers, leading to decreased quality. Consequently, introducing new materials is often essential to maintain product strength. Westfalia Fruit’s avocado-based paper addresses this challenge by leveraging the abundant cellulose and starch within avocado waste. This innovative approach not only enhances paper quality but also reduces dependence on virgin wood fibers, thereby lessening the carbon footprint.

“It’s been an exciting journey to be on,” said Johnathan Sutton, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Westfalia Fruit. “These are not overnight developments. Through extensive research, experimentation, and demonstration, and through the correlation and application of scientific knowledge, we are working with likeminded organisations to prove that much is possible. Partnering with Bio-Power technologies to evaluate the valorisation of the entire ‘waste’ channel of skins and stones has proven highly valuable to understand the structures, the compounds and to ultimately understand what is possible.”

Typically, avocado skins and seeds are employed in low-value applications like anaerobic digesters. However, Westfalia Fruit’s innovative process elevates these by-products, allowing them to contribute to the development of high-value food and drink sustainable packaging solutions. This is particularly pertinent as the demand for sustainable carton-board packaging continuously grows.

By decreasing reliance on virgin fibers and enhancing the sustainability of the supply chain, this development aligns perfectly with Westfalia Fruit’s longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship. Importantly, it introduces a novel, higher-value solution. Sutton further commented: “This latest development aligns with our history of identifying, implementing and pioneering innovative and industry leading methods to reduce waste, and reinforces our commitment to protecting the health of the environment in which we operate.”

This initiative builds upon Westfalia Fruit’s prior use of avocado waste in beauty products, replacing harmful plastic micro-beads with natural alternatives. By continually pushing the boundaries of sustainable packaging, Westfalia Fruit remains committed to exploring new avenues for waste reduction and the creation of eco-friendly solutions.

www.westfaliafruit.com

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