Manjimup Engineer Turns Rejected Avocados into High-Value Oil, Tackling Food Waste
Australians consume more than 4 kilograms of avocados per person each year, but hundreds of tonnes are discarded annually due to strict supermarket standards and consumer preferences.
In Western Australia’s avocado-rich Manjimup region, engineer-turned-entrepreneur Lawrence Cheng is working to change that by transforming unsellable avocados into extra virgin avocado oil — a product being dubbed “liquid gold.”
With a background in engineering and experience as a tech advisor in precision agriculture, Cheng became increasingly aware of the sheer volume of wasted produce on farms — often due to minor imperfections like size, blemishes, or discoloration.
“Every time I visited farms, I saw so much waste,” Cheng said. “I started asking, what could we do about this?”
From Waste to Worth
Typically, avocados that fail to meet retail standards are either left in the fields or discarded in landfill. Cheng’s solution was to create an alternative path for that rejected produce.
At the start of 2024, he launched an avocado oil processing facility designed to repurpose this excess fruit. Still in its early days, the venture has already gained support from local growers in Manjimup.
“We’re collaborating with packhouses to divert fruit from landfill and convert it into extra virgin avocado oil,” Cheng explained.
His mostly self-funded facility has already processed over 90 tonnes of discarded avocados, with the capacity to handle up to 2 tonnes per hour.
Local Support for a Sustainable Solution
Manjimup orchardist Kirsty Fontanini, who operates a packing shed in the area, said she was able to send several tonnes of third-grade avocados to Cheng’s plant this season.
“It’s adding value to something that is otherwise unsellable,” she said.
The project not only provides a new revenue stream for local growers but also plays a role in reducing food waste in one of Australia’s major avocado-producing regions.
