Cannabis companies are starting to promote sustainability

Earth Day 2021 is just around the corner, and cannabis companies across the industry are mobilizing to turn “sustainability” from a buzzword into a business practice. Earth Day was founded as a national environmental class by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 to help raise awareness on topics such as pollution and pesticide use.

While the cannabis industry has long been associated with the word “green”, the environmental impact of production, packaging, distribution and sourcing of materials for products like vape pens is often far from being.

Today’s consumers grew up with the annual Earth Day tradition and the increased environmental awareness that goes with it. Studies show that sustainability is a factor that influences customers’ purchasing decisions. Recent research from IBM found that nearly six in ten consumers surveyed are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce their environmental footprint, and nearly eight in ten respondents said sustainability is important to them. Many will look for cannabis products that match their cleaner, greener values.

A diverse group of North America’s foremost cannabis growing and manufacturing experts formed the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition (SCC) earlier this year. The SCC will proactively work with peers and vendors in the cultivation and manufacturing industries to promote best practices for sustainability that can be implemented on a large scale across the cannabis market. The SCC will be a resource that provides basic best practices to further advance the economic benefits of sustainability as the industry continues to grow.

The SCC founders include Cohn Reznick, Anderson Porter Design, Valiant, fully H2O, Cloud Farming, Argus Controls, Gro iQ, Trulieve (OTC: TCNNF), Byers Scientific, 365 Cannabis, GMP Collective, Omega Equipment and Supply, Simplifya, PathogenDx, Grow Generation (NASDAQ: GRWG) and Outlaw Technology. These industry leaders are leading experts in data-driven business strategy, facility design, plant engineering, water use, pathogen detection, energy consumption, waste disposal, economic and social impact, vertical agriculture, ERP and seed sales systems, lighting and air emissions, extraction, packaging and data-driven monitoring and optimization of environmental control systems.

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Brands that deal with sustainability

Green cannabis users make up a large percentage of the population who use marijuana, and their preference for purchasing environmentally friendly products has motivated many companies to clean up their activities. Other companies have made sustainable practices a cornerstone of their business model. Nugg Club, a cannabis subscription boxing company, uses a model that is 90% more efficient than on-demand delivery services, saving over 250,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually. In addition, the Nugg Club boxes are 100% recyclable, made from 80% recycled materials and printed with non-toxic soy-based inks.

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If you want to ensure that the contents of your subscription boxes have a similarly low carbon footprint, several companies have stepped up their sustainability game to meet the growing demand for greener products. The Californian company Summerland, which sells high quality handcrafted bongs and pipes, makes its tobacco products in small quantities from pure clay. Stone Road grows its biodynamically grown cannabis on an off-grid, family-run farm, using only solar energy and artesian water straight from the farm. All Stone Road products are shipped 99% in recyclable packaging made from 100% post-consumer recycled products. This year, the company will be using rice protein isolate to make packaging materials, sourcing fully recycled jars, and reclaimed ocean plastic to make its child-resistant lids.

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The new packaging of the Kin Slips Sublingual Strips uses 75% less plastic than the previous version. It is fully recyclable and is made from tinplate (the same material that soup cans are made from) which, due to its magnetic nature and existing infrastructure, is easy to recycle and sort. ALT’s liquid THC beverage mixer is packaged in recyclable glass bottles with aluminum lids from sustainable sources, while Marley Natural’s range of increased smoking accessories is made from sustainably grown black walnut. Greening the cannabis industry requires more than just responsible products and packaging. However, on Earth Day 2021, more than ever, sustainable practices will take center stage as companies increasingly prioritize planets and profits together, which will hopefully benefit both.

RELATED: Sustainable Cannabis – How to Find It, and Why to Start Taking Care of It

Eazes private label brand Every dayis an environmentally conscious brand that is recyclable packaging created with wind energy. In collaboration with master indoor growers, the Everyday team has put together a range of high-quality flower varieties for customers with discerning tastes. Everyday life starts at $ 45 for one eighth of the flower.

you packaging is working to make it sustainablepackaging Easier to access by reducing the cost of the 100% ocean plastic pre-roll tub by 30% and material usage by 25%. The sustainable Company does too packaging made from 100% vegetable hemp. The office develops a variety of innovative and sustainable cannabis packaging designs made from biodegradable plastic and paper. Your products can be customized to meet the specific needs and budget of each customer.

This article originally appeared in the Green Market Report and was republished with permission.