Sustainable Cannabis Packaging: Why it Matters and How to Do It Right

May 6

Written By Packagewea Packaging Solutions

Introduction

The cannabis industry has faced several hurdles since it was legalized in Canada in October 2018. One of the biggest challenges is how to package their products so they're not only safe for consumers but also sustainable. That's why we've put together this guide on what makes a good sustainable cannabis packaging company, and how you can start making your own brand more eco-friendly today.

Cannabis packaging is only as good as the material it's made from

The material you choose for your cannabis packaging should be recyclable, sustainable and compliant with regulations. It's also important that it doesn't contain any harmful chemicals or toxins that could leach into your product over time. Finally, it should be safe for consumers--you want them to feel good about choosing your brand!

There are many considerations for sustainable cannabis packaging.

Regulatory requirements: The packaging must conform to state and federal guidelines, including those that relate to child-resistant closures and warning labels.
Brand identity: Packaging should reflect the brand's values and mission statement by using colors that align with its identity, such as green for organic products or black for luxury brands.
Consumer experience: Packaging should be easy for consumers to open without breaking their nails or damaging their manicures or pedicures (or even worse). It should also be easy enough for someone with limited dexterity in their hands due to arthritis or other health conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
Materials used: Sustainable materials include paperboard made from recycled content; unbleached kraft paperboard made from 100 percent post-consumer waste; biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid (PLA), which can be composted at home; as well as glass jars made out of recycled wine bottles!

Rigid plastic isn't necessarily bad for the environment.

As you may know, plastic is made from petroleum. That's not necessarily a bad thing--plastic can be recycled and used over and over again. But it does mean that the production of plastic releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change.

For example: If you were to take two identical products made of different materials (one made of cardboard, one made of rigid plastic), both would have their own environmental impact during their lifetimes as consumer goods. However, once those lifetimes are over and they reach the end-of-life stage--either through recycling or disposal--cardboard has an advantage over rigid plastics because its composition allows it to break down much more easily into smaller pieces under natural conditions like sunlight exposure or microbial activity in soil environments; these smaller pieces eventually become part of larger cycles within ecosystems as they decompose into carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor and methane gas which in turn are released back into our atmosphere as part of normal Earth processes such as photosynthesis.[1]

Aluminum can be recycled and repurposed, even if it's used in a disposable product.

The aluminum can is the most recycled material in the world, and it's easy to see why: it's durable, strong and lightweight. It also has a high scrap value because of how many different things you can make with it--from new aluminum cans to foil and sheets.

The bottom line? When you buy sustainable cannabis packaging made from 100% recyclable materials like aluminum, you're supporting sustainable practices that will help keep our planet healthy for generations to come.

Conventional plastic can be recycled, but it may not be worth the investment.

The fact is, conventional plastic can be recycled, but it's not always worth the investment. In many locations around the world, conventional plastic cannot be recycled at all because of contamination and other issues with the material. Even if your local recycling facility accepts conventional plastic, you may need to invest in expensive sorting equipment and labor to ensure that all of your products are recyclable before they go into the mix. If this is what you're doing now with your cannabis packaging--and it probably is--then switching over to sustainable options could save you money in both time and money by cutting down on labor costs associated with sorting out materials after they've been collected from consumers' homes (and keeping them away from landfill).

Some materials are simply too hard to recycle, which is why they're not good candidates for sustainable packaging.

Some materials are so contaminated that they can't be recycled. For example, if you try to put a plastic bag into your recycling bin and it has food scraps on it, those food scraps will contaminate the entire bag so that no one else can use it. That means that even though only 10% of plastic bags end up in landfills (the rest are used as trash picker-uppers), all of those bags have to go straight into landfills because they're so contaminated by other materials and refuse from people's homes that there's no way to clean them up enough for recycling purposes!

Other materials may be expensive or toxic when recycled--they require additional steps during processing which drive up costs while also making them less safe than new products coming out of factories today."

Packaging should meet regulatory requirements while being eco-friendly.

The regulations regarding cannabis packaging are different in every state and can vary based on the type of product being sold. For example, medical products must meet stricter regulations than recreational ones and CBD products may have different requirements than THC products. Edibles also have their own set of rules when it comes to packaging, which we'll cover later in this guide.

Sustainable cannabis packaging needs to be both environmentally-friendly and compliant with regulations.

Sustainable cannabis packaging is an important part of the industry. In fact, it's a key component of any company's sustainability efforts.

A sustainable product means that it has been designed and manufactured in a way that minimizes its negative impact on people and the planet. This includes reducing waste by using materials that can be recycled, re-used or composted at end-of-life. It also means paying attention to how much energy was used during production so you can reduce your carbon footprint as much as possible.

Consumers want products that are not only good for them but also good for the environment they live in--and they're becoming increasingly aware of those things! They expect companies like yours to care about their well-being just as much as you do when it comes time for them to buy something new from you (or even just consider buying). In order for consumers' expectations about sustainability practices within industries like yours match up with reality though...

Conclusion

Sustainable cannabis packaging is a complex issue. There are many considerations and tradeoffs to be made when choosing a material for your product, and it's important that you consider all of them before making a decision. We hope that this article has given you some insight into what goes into making good packaging decisions and how those decisions affect both consumers and the environment.