Cannabis packaging is difficult to recycle due to regulations, and reuse isn’t legal, which means a lot of plastic from weed ends up in the trash.
With that, some are already considering solutions to minimize the impact of marijuana packaging. In Canada, cannabis giant Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) is funding a nationwide program to tackle the weed packaging waste problem, recycling packaging and partnering with TerraCycle to process the material and produce high-quality recycled plastic in place of virgin plastic.
Through CGC’s Tweed retail brand, they distribute recycling bins to stores or from consumers via shipping. In addition to their own branded products, Tweed is taking all licensed cannabis packaging, including tins, plastic bottles, caps, bags, and joint tubes. TerraCycle collects the packaging, cleans it, then melts it down to pellets. Individuals can also send cannabis packaging via UPS pick up.
Consumers are starting to take note. Jason Kostiw, a spokesperson for Hide Tide Inc, which operates ten stores in Alberta, told the Winnipeg Free Press that they considered participating in the program, based on customer feedback on “the sheer amount of packaging.”
Legal cannabis players have the unique opportunity to set the momentum on sustainability in the early days of the industry. While most other markets are reverse engineering their business operations, cannabis is showing signs that baking in environmental responsibilities is a priority, making their buds kind in more ways than one.
