Several cannabis advocates have been environmental advocates as well. While not every user of cannabis is conscious of their effect on the planet, it seems antithetical to the majority of consumers to have products wrapped in non-biodegradable materials. This is especially apparent considering the availability of hemp-based plastics, as the cannabis plant can provide both useable cannabis, and hemp-derived packaging.
Separate from consumable cannabis, hemp packaging and reclaimed ocean plastics could provide an excellent option for packaging in general, shifting the world away from a reliance on traditional plastic. As our society increases its environmental awareness, look for incredible opportunities in these companies providing hemp-based plastics with a purpose much deeper than simple packaging.
Sana Packaging Offers Hemp-Based and Reclaimed Ocean Plastics
Sana Packaging is one of the leaders of the alternative cannabis packaging space. In their own words: “We believe in designing for recovery and using rapidly renewable and regenerative resources. We believe in a circular economic model where packaging is designed to help heal the environment.”
Through their efforts with Oceanworks, a partner to Sana Packaging, they have removed 8 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans through active environmentalism. Work such as this is vital for the development of the economy because 8,000,000 tons of plastic waste enters the oceans a year.
This plastic can take either up to 450 years to degrade or break down into micro-plastic particles. While nearly 700 species eat and get caught in plastic waste, millions of marine animals are killed yearly by the refuse.
In comparison, not only is hemp biodegradable, which makes it preferable to relying on plastics, hemp also requires less water than most common industrial crops and does not rely on the use of pesticides. Further, hemp is an ideal rotational crop and works to make a healthier environment rather than stripping the soil of resources.
By providing reclaimed ocean plastic products with their partner, Oceanworks, and through delivering quality hemp-based packaging, Sana Packaging proves to be a company with an excellent environmental footprint. All of their products are recyclable.
Others in Hemp Plastics
Another company pushing forward the development of bioplastics is Best Practices Packaging, an Alaskan based company. Their designs have an average efficiency rate of 97% product to 3% packaging, which is a commendable consumer-friendly practice. No purchaser of a product wants the majority of it wasted on-air and plastic.
With products ranging from the 64 Ounce Flexible Growler Pouch, Hemp Isolate CBD Crystals, and bioplastic pellets, Best Practices aims to bring bioplastics to several commercial industries. Their company started within the cannabis world, but they are proving that hemp packaging doesn’t need to be limited to cannabis products. The more success that this company enjoys, the less the world economy will have to depend on plastic for commerce.
Best Practices Packaging has already gone on to work with some of the largest hemp producers in the world, and they continue to build their business. Suppliers interested in their products can contact Best Practices for a quote as all of their prices are volume-based.
Shifting the focus away from cannabis products almost entirely, The Hemp Plastic Company has claimed their responsibility of being the largest hemp plastics manufacturer in the world. They do so in response to the modern consumer industry, which produces tons of waste every year. Instead of blaming the consumer practice of purchasing these products, companies like the Hemp Plastic Company have a fairer plan for the average person.
The global over-reliance on plastic is not due to the consumers’ love for plastic. Instead, it is due to the historical availability and low prices of plastic for packaging as compared to the cost of alternative and environmentally friendly options.
The Hemp Plastic Company’s premise is that if a product is competitive in terms of price and quality, then it will be readily adopted by the market. To fix the overproduction of plastics they aim to target those who sell to the consumer rather than guilting the consumer into addressing an issue that they cannot fix. Designing products with efficiency and efficacy in mind is the most meaningful and impactful way to enact change within the consumer market.
Hemp Packaging Vibes with the Cannabis Industry
While it’s as natural to wrap cannabis products in hemp as it is to smoke a cigar, it will take time before hemp packaging becomes the standard in the cannabis industry, but once it does, the entire world will benefit. Hopefully, the cannabis industry can show the world that hemp-based packaging is not only practical but affordable and environmentally friendly.
