Canada’s first nationwide cannabis packaging recycling program is being rolled out by recycling experts TerraCycle and cannabis brand Tweed. Last year, Canada became the second country after Uruguay to legalize recreational cannabis use. Tweed has voiced the need for a recycling system for all the new containers, tubes and packages created by the growing cannabis industry, in a bid to diverted these away from landfills and upcycling them into other products.

The Tweed x TerraCycle Cannabis Packaging Recycling Program accepts all cannabis containers from all licensed producers – including tins, plastic bags, joint tubes and bottles with childproof caps, which are notoriously tricky to recycle.

Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into plastic pellets that can be remolded to make new recycled products.

The Tweed x TerraCycle Cannabis Packaging Recycling Program accepts all cannabis containers from all licensed producers. “Packaging is considered non-recyclable when it is too complex (due to the use of multiple types of materials) or otherwise challenging to recycle through municipal recycling infrastructure. However, the material can absolutely be recycled, and we’re glad that Tweed is providing a recycling solution for consumers in Canada,” Lauren Taylor, Global Vice President, Creative & Communications at TerraCycle Canada, tells.

Since its debut late last year, the Cannabis Packaging Recycling Program has “saved over 165,000 containers from ending up in landfills.” The program is currently active in over 106 legal cannabis retail locations across Canada, including all Tweed and Tokyo Smoke stores, as well as select third-party retailers. In addition to drop off points located at participating retail stores, consumers have the option to register online through Tweed.com for free pickup and recycling of their discarded containers.

TerraCycle has also partnered with a range of UK companies to solve their recycling issues with “difficult” products, including oral care products from Colgate, contact lenses from Johnson & Johnson, Pringles from Kellogg’s and bread bags from Hovis.

Make way for marijuana
The marijuana industry is thriving. It can be expected that the rates of consumers using the now-legal herb will continue to increase. In the US alone, more than one million people legally use medical marijuana, according to ProCon, and that number is projected to climb as more states vote to legalize medicinal cannabis. At the moment, recreational marijuana is now legal in 10 states, while medical marijuana is legal in 33.

A range of packaging types are used for products sold in marijuana dispensaries. But developing packaging can be challenging due to how new the market is. According to Founder of AssurPack, Nancy Gruskin Warner,it is “without precedent.” Consumers are demanding when it comes to packaging and there is no exception when it comes to the cannabis market, so the growing market and consumer enthusiasm do present ample opportunity for packaging NPD.

Earlier this year, sustainable cannabis packaging manufacturer Sana Packaging partnered with Oceanworks to supply a new line of cannabis packaging made from reclaimed ocean plastic. While hemp bioplastics will remain its core focus, the use of reclaimed ocean plastic could add a new dimension to the portfolio.

However, swift shifting regulations can be burdensome for companies operating in this space, Warner notes. “This is a new industry without precedent. Planning and forecasting is challenging and so theburden of supply goes to the packaging Sustainable cannabis packaging manufacturer Sana Packaging has launched a packaging range made from reclaimed ocean plastic.companies to carry inventory to meet the demand.”

This means that quick turnarounds in regulations that can vary state by state have led to large losses for packaging suppliers. One key example would be labels, as companies have been forced to destroy mounds of printed packaging due to labeling changes.

According to the current requirements for cannabis packaging laid out by the California Department of Public Health, cannabis packaging must not resemble food items and it must be tamper-evident and child-resistant. Regarding labeling, the product cannot carry an advertised health claim nor resemble candy. The levels of THC and cannabidiol (CBD) must also be shared.

At the end of last year, the US government signaled a softened stance on the mainstream use of cannabis, with particular regard to its derivative hemp. There is also a following on the future legal status of CBD, with hopes rising for potentially loosened laws following hemp’s new legal status. Although the legal status of products featuring such cannabis derivatives remains somewhat hazy, there may be NPD potential for new packaging innovations and designs in this space. With increased sustainability top of the CPG agenda right now, viable recycling systems for cannabis packaging, such as TerraCycle and Tweed’s new program, will also help to drive investment in this industry.