MJBizMag September 2020 - 94

Green Packaging
Tiny ePaper founder Erica Halverson re-created shopping bags using hemp paper. Courtesy Photo
Cannabis waste provides low-cost
raw materials for hemp paper and
bioplastics while relieving cultivators
of the cost of disposal. Pioneering
this effort could help the cannabis
industry position itself as a leader in
earth-friendly, sustainable packaging.
Here's what you need to know:
* Hemp paper and cannabis-based
plastic packaging is cost-comparative
to tree-paper and petroleum-based
plastics when made
from waste. It could end up costing
even less for product manufacturers
if regulators begin taxing companies
for using conventional plastics.
C
annabis businesses have long
struggled with the excessive
packaging their products are
required to use, employing extra layers
of plastic and paper to ensure that flower
or vape products are childproof and don't
fall into the wrong hands.
But that struggle might be nearing its
end: New plant-based paper and plastic
packaging options are coming to market
at a price point that's comparable to
conventional packaging. That's all thanks
to the ingenuity of a few innovative
minds that are working to use hemp and
marijuana waste to make cannabis biocircular.
In other words, the plants come
from the earth, and their leftover waste
can be used to create environmentally
friendly products such as hemp paper
that can be recycled multiple times rather
than going straight to a landfill.
And cannabis companies are here
for it, said Erica Halverson, founder
and CEO of Tiny ePaper, a Long Beach,
California-based company that makes
100% hemp paper. Halverson said the
interest in and need for sustainable
packaging in the cannabis industry was
the green light she needed to launch her
company.
" We are selling this medicine, these
healing products, but we're selling it
in one of the most irresponsible ways
* Cannabis businesses have an
opportunity to lead other consumer
packaged goods industries by
reducing the waste that ends up in
landfills and adopting plant-based
packaging.
* Hemp paper is notoriously stronger
than tree paper and breaks down
four times faster. Biodegradable
plastic breaks down within a year of
use, unlike petroleum-based plastic
that is not compostable.
* Certifying agencies such as the U.S.
Department of Agriculture ensure
green packaging is sound and
ethically produced.
Erica Halverson
possible. So the cannabis industry, in
particular, has gotten to the point that
it is begging for sustainable packaging
solutions, " Halverson said.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
The economic shock caused by the
coronavirus pandemic revealed the
weaknesses in the global supply chain.
It's also created a serendipitous moment
for North America's green packaging
companies, and executives say there are
four reasons why now is the right time
for cannabis brands to switch to green
solutions:
Reducing waste while increasing
cannabis use and profits: Long-desired
94 Marijuana Business Magazine | September 2020
sustainable packaging alternatives that
incorporate cannabis have been elusive
because of the legality of hemp and marijuana.
Also, supply-chain hurdles stand
in the way of companies converting
waste to usable raw material.
Stopping waste pollution: Cannabis
destruction has traditionally been
required during waste disposal.
Consequently, much of this
biodegradable material has been thrown
into landfills, adding another financial
and environmental burden to cannabis
cultivators and processors. Instead,
growers and processors could give their
waste to entrepreneurs who can salvage
it for other uses and eliminate two
problems at once-all while adopting
sustainable packaging.
REIMAGINED

MJBizMag September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag September 2020