MJBiz - July/August 2024 - 46

SUSTAINABLE IS ATTAINABLE
and production partnerships across
Southeast Asia, is testing custom
package designs for three cannabis
companies.
" We should be moving forward on
those within a couple of months, "
CEO Andrew Bliss said.
Ecoshell, which has been certified
for plastic, carbon and waste
reduction, was established last year
in New Brunswick, Canada, to serve
the North American market. In
October, it introduced the eco-shell,
a patented material comprised
primarily of eggshells and converted
to pellets through a seven-step
process.
The resulting material, according
to the company, can replace up to
half of plastic content in a variety
of products. It costs about 5% more
than utilizing virgin plastics, Bliss
said.
" I know that profit margins are
tiny with the cannabis industry. "
he added. " We think we have
the solution for cannabis brands
because they want to be sustainable,
but they just can't afford it. "
COASTAL CLEANUP
Massachusetts-based edibles
maker Coast Cannabis Co. recently
partnered with AE Global on the
packaging company's efforts to
recover plastic from the ocean
and convert them to sustainable
packaging.
In June, the company launched
a cannabis-infused chocolate bar
with packaging made from recycled
ocean plastics.
" There is so much waste with
cannabis packaging, and since we
don't see regulations changing to
allow for less packaging, we have
to look at ways to minimize our
environmental impact while
remaining compliant, " Coast cofounder
and CEO Angela Brown said.
" We saw this as a way to do just that. "
AE Global, which aims to reduce
The packaging Coast Cannabis uses for its infused chocolate bars is made from
plastics recovered from the ocean. Photo by Patrick Rogers
plastic waste by investing in
waste-management infrastructure
worldwide, provides custom
packaging solutions, supplies and
labeling for cannabis businesses.
SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
While economics and other
regulatory challenges are squeezing
cannabis brands nationwide, there's
a few steps they can take to improve
sustainability and potentially lower
costs at the same time, according to
AE's Forenza.
Overpackaging is one easy area
to address, so consider eliminating
boxes that hold jars of flower-or
even the jar itself-and opt for a
single bag or pouch, he suggests.
" It really has to do with way
more things than just the materials
46 July-August 2024 | MJBizMagazine
you're using as far as being more
sustainable, " Forenza added.
" When I think about brands
that want to have a sustainability
story that also is in line with the
capital structure of what they need
to be competitive, rightsizing your
product and packaging-and making
sure that you're not overpackaging
your product-is really the first step.
" There's very, very few brands
that are making a big push into this,
considering the economic climate
and the uncertainty. "
Chris Casacchia is a
reporter at MJBizDaily.
Reach him at chris.
casacchia@mjbizdaily.com.
MJBiz - July/August 2024

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