Cannabis packaging waste is a problem. A Californian pharmacy addresses that

A California pharmacy is raising awareness of the environmental impact of cannabis packaging waste with a campaign that encourages customers to recycle some of the industry’s plastic into diesel fuel. And to thank the company’s customers for their support, customers who bring plastic packaging made from cannabis products to Airfield Supply Co. in San Jose, California will receive a special reward for their problems.

The plastic waste problem isn’t new, Airfield Supply Co. noted in a press release about the campaign planned in advance of the 4/20 Cannabis High Holiday. Around 6.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide in the last 60 years, but only 9% of this has been recycled. And every year around 300 million pounds of cheap plastic waste is generated, of which around 8 million pounds ends up in the world’s oceans.

Unfortunately, the legal cannabis industry has made a significant contribution to the plastic packaging waste problem. Due to strict regulations for the packaging of cannabis products, many products are marketed in much more plastic than is really necessary.

“Child-proof and tamper-evident packaging is mandatory in California. Often times, however, it means brands are using extra plastic to ensure compliance and that a large volume of single-use plastic, including approximately 2 million single connection pipes, contributes to the state’s waste stream and landfill every year, ”said Chris Lane, Chief Marketing Officer Airfield Supply Co. officer, in a company statement.

Be part of the solution. Recycle your cannabis packaging

To address this issue, Airfield has partnered with Sonoma County’s cannabis maker CannaCraft, recycling innovator Resynergi, and other licensed brands to convert plastic cannabis packaging into diesel fuel. In the week before April 20th (April 13th to 20th), customers who bring plastic packaging made from a cannabis product for recycling will receive a voucher for the purchase of a specially designed product for only 10 cents when purchasing in the pharmacy from April 25th USD or more. Members of the cannabis community are encouraged to recycle as much clean cannabis packaging as possible. However, the distribution of vouchers is limited to one per customer and per day of the campaign.

“Our intent is to entice customers into bringing in cannabis waste during the week of April 20th by offering a coupon to those who wish to receive a $ 0.10 special item,” Lane said.

The 10 cent gift certificates available to customers participating in the campaign include a single drink with cann infusion, large cans of PLUS full size cannabis gums, ABX vape cartridges with a half gram of ABX Vape cartridges, half a gram of jetfuel pre-rolls and individual Big Pete infused biscuits, one gram of Pure Beauty pre-rolls, Papa & Barkley Releaf samples, Select Nano-Gums and more. Lane said the company hopes the incentives will encourage them to make recycling a part of their lifestyle.

“We want to see what we can achieve when we get our grassroots involved, raise awareness about recycling efforts, and try to encourage uptake of recycling practices,” he said. “Our goal is always to use our voice to promote positive changes for the environment and society. Every piece of recycled plastic is a step in the right direction. “

The participating cannabis brands have all agreed to cut their wholesale cost of the products for advertising to just 10 cents. “This is a substantial wholesale discount and it really speaks for your willingness to promote sustainability in the cannabis community,” said Lane.

“CannaCraft is excited to be discounting our ABX products to raise awareness of the plastic crisis that is plaguing our environment, communities and now the cannabis industry. We worked with Resynergi and Pharmacies on these recycling programs in 2019 when California regulations required additional child-resistant packaging for cannabis products, ”said Jim Hourigan, CEO of CannaCraft, in an email to High Times. “We hope that by encouraging and incentivizing customers to recycle this packaging, we can lead the industry to make responsible choices that benefit both us all and the planet.”

Airfield Supply Co. estimates that if only a third of the customers who visit the pharmacy during the campaign participate in the recycling effort, 250 pounds of plastic cannabis packaging waste can be collected and recycled, which is enough to produce 25 gallons of diesel. So if you’re in the Bay Area, in need of some weed, and with plastic cannabis packaging lying around, this is your chance to get high quality California cannabis indulgence for just a dime. Not a bad deal!