If you look closely, an uptick in the amount of cannabis or wellness businesses taking the care to use eco-friendly packaging is apparent. And, this is a great thing. There is work to be done, however. The industry needs everyone to help spread the word and support the movement to transition from plastic to pure-as-possible, eco-friendly packaging.
Use of plastic to store food or products that make contact with our skin has been linked to various health issues, including breast cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. It contaminates oceans and destroys marine life. Microplastics seem to show up everywhere: our water, our soil, our food, and even our bodies.
Here at Woody’s we do all we can to use the most versatile and/or eco-friendly packaging available.
- The lids on our hemp flower and gummy jars are made from reclaimed ocean plastic and fully recyclable.
- The bags we use for our Superfood Moringa Tisanes, gummies, and hemp flower (1 gram) are fully compostable and suitable for home composting.
- The jars and 30ml bottles are reusable. Need a new lid or dropper? Reach out and we will ship you one for a small fee.
- Further, some of our labels are made from recycled materials. Some are also compostable.
Is Eco-Friendly Overhyped?
No. There is work to do, but we are on our way to a cleaner cannabis future.
Some “compostable” packaging options are not what they seem. They can be difficult to recycle or compost. Often, one cannot compost them at home, and regulations and/or composting centers’ capabilities may keep them from being composted at all.
“Biodegradable” is another popular buzz word in packaging. Packaging stamped with this projects an image of zero-waste on the consumer’s part. However, this choice too comes with some hidden negatives. And, both compostable and biodegradable packaging often ends up in landfills or the ocean. This is why Woody’s opted for reusable glass jars and ocean plastic for our hemp flower and gummies packaging.
This doesn’t mean efforts made by companies producing or using any of these products should be shrugged off. Manufacturing eco-friendly packaging requires a lot of research, certification, and innovation on the manufacturer’s part. Further, supplies may be more limited and/or more costly.
This means companies who manufacture and/or utilize Earth-friendly packaging may have to charge a small amount more, but this doesn’t always mean more profit. Obviously, companies will take advantage of the eco-friendly movement for financial gain (“greenwashing”), but there are plenty of genuine efforts. New York is even looking into putting regulations and standards into place for sustainable cannabis packaging.
Woody’s has met our fair share of hurdles in the quest for the purest packaging possible. For example, the dropper vials are reusable and recyclable, but a child-safe, eco-friendly dropper cap seems to be unobtainable. Durable labels that hold up during printing, packaging, shipping, and use have also been a struggle to source.
Hopefully, supply/demand is on our side. One day, pure, eco-friendly packaging will be the norm. Until then, if you see a manufacturer of pure, eco-friendly packaging, let us know!
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