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Sustainable dye extracted from avocado by-products

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27 Feb, 2025

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

Westfalia Fruit has committed to using all parts of the avocado across the supply chain, including the skins and seeds, to make new, sustainable products.

Avocados imported for retail, food service and wholesale customers are carefully inspected and any unsuitable avocados are processed at Westfalia’s facility into products like avocado pulp, smashed avocado and guacamole.

However, the avocado skins and seeds from the process, previously typically used in low-value applications such as anaerobic digesters, are now finding new, higher-value alternative uses.

Having partnered with Efficiency Technologies, the value of the entire by-product channel of avocado skins and stones is assessed to optimise use, with the most recent development being a technology extracting a natural, sustainable dye from avocado stones, with SAGES London.

The process extracts perseorangin (a rare and sought-after natural pigment) from avocado stones collected at Westfalia’s UK facility. The pigment offers eight distinct shades ranging from light yellow to rich reddish-brown, creating new opportunities for sustainable colouring solutions across multiple industries.

Westfalia Fruit’s sustainable dye extraction on display at Fruit Logistica 2025.

Westfalia Fruit’s sustainable dye extraction on display at Fruit Logistica 2025.

The specialised extraction method isolates perseorangin, which constitutes approximately 3% of the avocado stone, and processes it into a dried powder form, providing extended shelf life.

“This breakthrough represents a significant step in our journey toward our total crop use strategy,” said Andrew Mitchell, Head of Group Innovation at Westfalia Fruit.

“By transforming what was once considered by-product into a valuable resource, we’re creating sustainable solutions that benefit multiple industries. The ability to produce eight distinct natural shades while maintaining our commitment to use the entire fruit demonstrates the potential of innovative thinking in sustainable agriculture.”

Besides the dye extraction, remaining materials from the avocado skins and stones are also processed into additional products — for example, starches are directed to paper manufacture as a precursor to packaging production, while ground materials find applications in cosmetics as natural exfoliants, as alternatives to micro-plastics.

The natural dye extraction process represents an advancement in sustainable practices, particularly as industries increasingly seek alternatives to synthetic dyes.

The powder format enables stability and ease of use across various applications, while the range of the eight distinct natural shades provide versatility for different product requirements.

This innovation comes at a time when consumer demand for natural, sustainable products continues to rise across fashion, beauty and packaging sectors. The pigment’s successful showcase at London Fashion Week highlighted its viability in sustainable fashion, while ongoing collaborations with industry leaders in cosmetics and packaging demonstrate its cross-sector appeal.

Plans are underway to understand how the technology could be expanded to additional Westfalia facilities in Europe, where more avocado by-product can be processed using the same techniques.

The company’s integrated operations enable efficient collection and processing of avocado stones and skins from multiple production sites, which will help to maximise the sustainable impact of the initiative and builds upon Westfalia’s commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles.

Top image caption: Westfalia Fruit introduces sustainable dye extraction from avocado by-products.

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ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

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ABB has gained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) status for its Gearless Mill Drive (GMD) ring motor — technology used to drive large grinding mills in the mining industry.

An EPD is a standardised document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, the EPD highlights ABB’s commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility and supporting customers in making informed decisions on sustainability in their supply chains.

ABB analysed the environmental impact of a ring motor across its entire life cycle from supply chain and production to usage and end-of-life disposal. The study was conducted for a ring motor of a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill with an installed power of 24 MW and was based on a reference service life of 25 years.

“Sustainability is at the core of our purpose at ABB, influencing how we operate and innovate for customers,” said Andrea Quinta, Sustainability Specialist at ABB. “By earning the Environmental Product Declaration for our ring motor, we emphasise our environmental stewardship and industry leadership for this technology. We adhered to the highest standards throughout this process, as we do in the ABB Ring Motor factory every day. This recognition highlights to the mining industry what they are bringing into their own operations when they work with ABB.”

The comprehensive LCA was conducted at ABB’s factory in Bilbao, Spain, and was externally verified and published in accordance with international standards ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044. It will remain valid for five years.

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The full EPD for the ABB GMD Ring Motor can be viewed on EPD International.

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