The 8 Best Eco Friendly Packaging Materials and Solutions for Cannabis Operators

Consumers have shown that they care about sustainability, choosing eco-friendly products and companies that uphold eco friendly practices. Cannabis companies need to embrace sustainable practices to connect with consumers and lessen their impacts on the environment. Read on for the top eight ways cannabis companies can make sustainable choices when packaging and shipping products. 

The Most Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials for Cannabis Companies

Ensuring your product’s packaging is eco-friendly is just as important as ensuring the product is sustainable. Many eco-friendly packaging options are available for all types of cannabis products. 

1. Making Plastic Packaging Sustainable

Sometimes plastic is unavoidable, but there are a few ways that cannabis companies can mitigate the impact of their plastic packaging. 

Choose Easily Recyclable Plastics

Choose #1 or #2 recyclable PET plastics whenever possible. These plastics have the most robust recycling programs, making them most likely to be successfully recycled. 

Consider Plant-Based Packaging Materials

Plant-based plastics, like hemp bioplastic, are also viable and more sustainable than virgin petroleum-based plastics. Bioplastics can be used to make plant-based packaging materials that don’t contribute to the glut of single-use petroleum-based plastic plaguing the earth. Sana Packaging makes plant-based hemp plastic pre-roll tubes, vape tubes, and boxes for cannabis products. 

Reduce Waste with Recycled Plastic Containers

Recycled and reclaimed plastics are also more sustainable than virgin plastics. Sana Packaging uses 100% reclaimed ocean-bound plastic in many products, from pre-roll tubes to flower jars, and has reclaimed over half a million pounds of ocean-bound plastic since 2019. 

2. Sturdy and Sustainable Glass Packaging for Cannabis

Glass is an excellent eco friendly choice for many different types of cannabis products. In fact, most glass is already composed of 15% to 30% recycled content. 

If your company is primarily concerned with reducing waste, glass containers are a great option because glass is easer to recycle than plastic due to our robust glass recycling system. 

Glass made with more recycled content has an even lower footprint. Sana Packaging works with TreeHugger Containers and Hero Packaging to source glass containers made of up to 75% recycled materials. 

3. Eco Friendly Paper Packaging for Cannabis Products

Clean paperboard packaging is often the finishing touch for cannabis and other packaged products. Carefully choosing materials for paper and paperboard packaging can also help sustainability efforts. 

Choose Recycled Paper for Eco-Friendly Packages

Recycled paper, paperboard, or cardboard can help reduce the virgin material required to meet your company’s packaging needs. Recycled paper uses less water and energy and does not contribute to deforestation. However, paper cannot be infinitely recycled, so this application has limits. 

Celebrate Renewability With Hemp Paper Packaging

Hemp paper is another excellent option for paperboard packaging. Hemp paper, even virgin hemp paper, does not contribute to deforestation. Additionally, hemp paper is much more renewable than traditional paper, as hemp grows much more quickly than trees. 

We work with Hemp Press to provide customers with hemp paperboard packaging made from 75% post-consumer recycled paper and 25% hemp. 

4. Environmentally Friendly Custom Cannabis Labeling 

Embracing sustainability and eco-friendly packaging doesn’t have to mean sacrificing branding or aesthetics. 

Sana Packaging offers custom labeling on all of our products. We work with Leapin’ Lizard Labels to produce beautiful, eye-catching labels with minimal possible environmental impact. Soy-based and water-based printing technologies paired with sustainable packaging options will make your products stand out without having a massive effect on the environment. 

Sustainable Business Solutions for Cannabis Operators

It’s also essential to ensure that your shipping, distribution, and general business practices are sustainable. Here are four environmentally-friendly practices that your company can adopt. 

5. Carbon-Offset Cannabis and Packaging Deliveries

If you ship your products, one of the most significant things you can do is opt for eco-friendly or carbon-offset delivery options. These shipping methods either release less pollution into the atmosphere or engage in initiatives to offset their footprint. 

Sana Packaging automatically includes carbon offsets on all of our products and shipments; when you order from Sana Packaging, you won’t have to worry about the carbon footprint of your chosen delivery method. You can also choose to use carbon offset, carbon-neutral, or green transportation methods when shipping your own finished products. 

6. Shop Local for Cannabis Solutions

You can also reduce your company’s carbon footprint by choosing local goods and services. Cutting your products' transportation time and distance by keeping things local can help to make your business more environmentally friendly. 

Sana Packaging works with multiple local and domestic producers. This ensures a fast and reliable turnaround time and reduces shipping expenses and environmental impacts. 

7. Comply with Cannabis Regulations

While sustainability is the ultimate goal, it’s essential to also comply with the regulations surrounding cannabis in your area. 

To ensure your company's continued operation and your customers' safety, it’s important to prioritize cannabis packaging regulations and requirements. For example, you should never opt for an eco friendly pre-roll tube over one with a secure, child-resistant closure and tamper-evident packaging. 

Luckily, with Sana Packaging, you don’t have to try to balance regulatory requirements and sustainability. Our products are child-resistant, resealable, and can be made tamper-evident. When you work with Sana Packaging, you can offer sustainable, eco-friendly packaging that complies with cannabis packaging requirements. 

8. Make a Sustainable Supply Chain With Green Packaging Companies

Finally, you can increase your sustainability by working with companies that emphasize the environment. Create a network of responsible cannabis growers, manufacturers, packagers, and distributors for a supply chain that is as sustainable as possible. 

Partnering with like-minded companies will make it easier to stick to your sustainability mission and allow you to become an industry leader in eco-friendly practices. 

Where to Source Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials

Sana Packaging is the best source of sustainable, effective, and fully customized cannabis packaging products. With various product types and limitless customization options, Sana Packaging provides everything you need to begin reducing your cannabis company’s carbon footprint. 

Contact us today to learn more about our products, request a sample, and join the coalition of cannabis companies working towards a more sustainable future.