By Villita Avocados

Earlier this year, Villita Avocados proudly debuted a new product bag for produce customers seeking a more sustainable option. The bag is 100% plastic-free, with a label made of paper film and netting composed of cellulose fiber yarn from Forest Stewardship Council-certified eucalyptus wood. 

The avocado bags also reduce plastic packing for retailers seeking to reduce the footprint of their produce departments. The netting is TOV-certified home compostable and industrial compostable. Villita is the first produce company to offer this packaging in North America. 

The company philosophy is to create a better company for a better environment. CEO Alfredo Rodriguez was the driving force behind the new packaging concept.

"Every time he speaks, it's all about: reduce, reuse and recycle,” says Rob Ybarra, Executive Vice President. “We want Villita to be the most sustainable company in the industry."

The team at Villita hopes to inspire other produce companies to follow their lead in becoming more environmentally conscious and steering away from excess plastics. 

"The produce industry as a whole is not environmentally friendly," Ybarra adds. "We want to do our part to help protect the environment. We feel it's essential for future generations, and we're all in. We hope other growers follow suit." 

Retailer interest in Villita's plastic-free bags has been strong. Ybarra says new customers come on board weekly.

"A major national retailer is already selling Villita Avocados 100% plastic free bags," he adds.

Villita Avocados seeks to make a difference, one avocado bag at a time!

A beautiful way to reduce food waste

As part of our sustainability initiatives, Villita Avocados also recognizes that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The old adage holds more true than ever with our Avocado Beauties. 

These Hass avocados have all the flavor and qualities that consumers have come to expect. The only difference is the fruits' exterior imperfections. That might mean a different shape than normal or the presence of skin defects, giving these avocados a beauty all of their own.

For savvy shoppers, our Class II Avocado Beauties are a great value option. They’re also a tasty way to reduce food waste, by utilizing high quality avocados that didn’t make the cut for the conventional, Class I market. Regardless of their shape or size, all of our Hass avocados contain good fats and more than 20 vitamins and mineral.

Delighting the world's palates with the best avocados 

Villita Avocados is a vertically integrated business with more than 20 years of experience in the avocado industry. The company's operations fall under three umbrellas: the agricultural division with operations in Jalisco, Michoacan and Peru; the packing division with two packinghouses strategically located in Jalisco and Michoacan; and the marketing division with consolidation and pre-conditioning facilities spread throughout the U.S. in Pharr, Texas; Denver, Philadelphia and Portland. 

From the fertile orchards of Michoacan, Mexico, Villita grows and processes more than 120,000 tons of Mexican Hass avocados each year. Alongside the company's packinghouse in Mexico is a guacamole processing plant, currently serving North America and Europe, with production capacity of 24,000 lbs. per shift.

To keep up with demand, Villita opened a second state-of-the-art packinghouse last year in Jalisco, with an avocado production capacity of 500 tons per day. The new packinghouse is LEED certified, a globally recognized symbol of achievement in sustainability and leadership. As part of its commitment to quality and safety assurance, Agroexport uses the highest levels of technology automation to minimize the fruits' contact with possible contaminants. 

Villita's facilities in Mexico and the five refrigerated warehouses in the U.S. support the company's year-round operations, serving customers in North America, Central America, Europe and Asia. 

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