This is the first attempt at a serious recycling program. Take this concern for the environment seriously.
One of the cannabis retailers in the state is offering customers a $4 prerolled joint for each piece of packaging that they return.
Plastic is the most common material used for child-resistant packaging in the cannabis industry. The majority of this plastic packaging is not recyclable, and it ends up in trash or on the ground.
Ture Turnbull and Wes Ritchie, who own Tree House Craft Cannabis in Pepperell, Dracut, said, “I saw these [preroll] tubes everywhere, they were everywhere.” “We looked at what was needed, what was being done by the industry to address this issue, what policies were in place, and how we could do it right.”
Tree House’s Recycling Program encourages customers to return their used packaging. Customers can return plastic tubes with pop-tops that contain pre-rolled joints, and square-lidded containers containing marijuana flower. Customers can purchase a pre-rolled joint at $4 for each packaging they return. The savings range from $4 to 8 depending on the joint being offered.
Yellow Brick Road is the brand name of the pre-rolls currently offered by the company. Tree House has been offering $4 pre-rolls since May, when the company launched the program. Since then, more than 6,000 packaging pieces have been returned by customers.
Turnbull said, “We had to literally put our money on the line to create this incentive programme because it’s a financial hit for us but it benefits the consumer. That was the only way that we could see it take off, to encourage it.” This is the first serious program to say: Let’s recycle the plastic. Take this concern for the environment seriously.
Tree House recycles packaging in two different ways. The packaging can be reused if it is still intact to package new products. If the packaging is not intact, the company will commission artwork that incorporates plastic for its dispensaries.
“Ture, along with myself, are actively reaching out to companies who use plastic, such as companies that use it for the soles on their shoes. We are confident that, as we scale up this program, we will be in a position to find partners.” said Ritchie.
Cannabis is a relatively young industry and as such, it is heavily regulated. Packaging rules are also very strict. Cannabis must be packaged in plain, child-resistant packaging with an opaque design. Plastic is used for the majority of packaging as it is child-resistant, opaque and inexpensive. Grand View, an independent research firm based in San Francisco, conducted a study that showed plastic to be the most popular packaging material for cannabis across the nation.
There are no cost-effective alternatives to the pop-tops or square-lidded containers that Tree House targets with its recycling program.
Turnbull and Ritchie want to see more dispensaries adopting their recycling program. They are looking for support from the Cannabis Control Commission as well as the Governor’s Office to expand their program.
“We hope the CCC, and other people who care about the environment – which is a lot of regulatory agencies – can say, okay, let’s get something done at scale,” Ritchie said.
Turnbull says marijuana regulators might want to re-examine the packaging regulations. Turnbull said that the intent of law was to treat marijuana like alcohol. However, it has created a new space which is more regulated and taxed. “We are in the most regulated industry, next to nuclear waste transportation. “I don’t think it should be so strict.”
Noting Gov. Turnbull and Ritchie urged Gov.
Ritchie stated, “Don’t fear cannabis.” Since the legalization campaign, cannabis operators have told politicians this. Engage us. We are real entrepreneurs who generate a lot in taxes. Consider our needs. This industry should prioritize [eliminating] plastics that are single-use. “Let’s see if there are other solutions.”
This article originally appeared on CommonWealth Beacon. It is republished under a Creative Commons License.
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The post Massachusetts Marijuana Retailer Encourages Packaging Recycling with a Discounted Joint Offer first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
