As the cannabis industry continues to proliferate, so, too, does it packaging
waste. But more and more companies are taking a long view, incorporating sustainability into their products and processes.
Sana taps hemp, ocean plastic for better packaging solutions
The cannabis industry has plenty to worry about — with ongoing regulatory
challenges, and public bias and misconceptions at the top of the list — but more
and more companies are taking a long view, incorporating sustainability into
their products and processes.
Denver, Colorado-based Sana Packaging designs and develops differentiated, sustainable and compliant packaging solutions for the cannabis industry using 100 percent plant-based hemp plastic and 100 percent reclaimed ocean plastic.
Co-founders Ron Basak-Smith and James Eichner met during their MBA program at the University of Colorado Boulder. After a year of hallway run-ins and small talk about their mutual love of skiing, Basak-Smith asked Eichner if he wanted to work on Sana Packaging for a class project.
After winning a university pitch competition, the two decided to pursue the company outside of the classroom. The team applied to Canopy Boulder — a seed-stage business accelerator and venture fund for the legal cannabis industry — and was part of the accelerator's 2017 Spring Cohort.
Play this Game to Eliminate 80% of Ocean Plastic Leakage by 2040!
Join us as rePurpose Global co-founder Aditya Siroya leads us through a fun and interactive game exploring the complexities of the global plastic waste crisis and a range of factors in crafting effective solutions — Friday, May 10, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
Now, Sana produces versatile, child-resistant containers and tubes made from hemp-based plastic. With its rapid growth cycle, hardiness and versatility, hemp provides durable packaging solutions with minimal impact on the environment.
Sana’s reclaimed ocean plastics line began with one of the most
ubiquitous cannabis waste products: pre-roll tubes. With two-thirds of
recreational cannabis states on the coast or bordering the Great Lakes, marine
plastic pollution should be top of mind for the industry. For its ocean plastic
packaging, Sana partnered with Oceanworks’ network of collection and processing
agents around the world.
“We’re really excited about our new product line,” Basak-Smith, told Packaging News
24
in a recent interview. “With the help of our customers, our first run of
reclaimed ocean plastic cannabis packaging removed four tons (8,000 pounds) of
plastic waste from our oceans. We’re excited to see how much plastic waste we
can continue to remove from our oceans moving forward. And of course, none of
this would be possible without the folks over at Oceanworks.”
STO Responsible facilitates biodegradation, encourages reuse
Image credit: STO Responsible
Meanwhile, in nearby Boulder, Nicole and Sandra Elkind — sister
co-founders of cannabis packaging manufacturer STO
Responsible — centered their business around
one main goal: fixing the cannabis industry’s single-use plastic problem by
developing safe, affordable, reusable packaging solutions.
After spending three years in R&D, the design team at STO Responsible devised a
brand-friendly product line for cannabis packaging that can be easily reused and
repurposed by consumers. If the packaging doesn’t reach the recycling stream, a
special oxygen-driven additive in the packaging material facilitates
a bio-degradation process, which allows it to degenerate swiftly and safely.
“STO’s packaging harnesses the natural process of plastic degradation but
accelerates it, so the material breaks down in five to 10 years rather than
500,” said Sandra Elkind, co-founder & Chief Creative Officer of STO
Responsible.
STO Responsible uses oxygen-driven, degradable polypropylene for its packaging,
a material that is accepted at recycling facilities. However, if the package is
instead discarded carelessly or sent to an oxygen-utilizing bioreactor
landfill, an
accelerated biodegradation process occurs.
The principle is explained by the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics
Federation: When the
material is in the presence of oxygen, the chemical bonds of the polymer chains
are broken through oxidation. This helps promote degradation of the material
through natural biological processes as the molecules are converted into
carbonaceous food sources for microbes.
“Our packaging acts as an insurance policy: While we always encourage recycling,
it doesn’t always happen,” said Nicole Elkind, co-founder & CEO.
“Oxo-biodegradation technology ensures that even if this packaging doesn’t end
up in the right place, we’re still reducing landfill waste and avoiding
long-term harm to our oceans.”
STO Responsible containers are designed with reuse in mind, and the STO team
encourages consumers to get creative.
“Our containers can hold your hardware, craft supplies, makeup items, snacks,
jewelry or small collectibles, just to name a few,” Nicole added. “While
consumers should take the normal precautions to keep cannabis products out of
reach of children and pets, STO Responsible packaging is child- and
pet-resistant to add a level of safety.”
STO Responsible's eco-friendly packaging is designed to meet the cannabis
industry’s strict compliance standards, as well as offering accessibility thanks
to its wide-mouth design and easy stackable storage.
Published Apr 12, 2019 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff