Waste disposal services are crucial allies for cannabis companies amidst strict regulations, product inspections, diverse waste streams and the need for odor protection.
With expert guidance, cannabis disposal services help ensure compliance, protect the environment and cultivate safe community practices.
If your business generates cannabis waste, or you are expanding your company to meet the current demand in the California cannabis industry, here are four reasons cannabis companies need disposal services:
- Your cannabis products have been recalled.
- Your company generates multiple waste streams.
- You need to secure your waste.
- You must create a waste disposal plan.
Your Cannabis Products Have Been Recalled
Under California’s strict regulations, cannabis products fail routine inspections often. In fact, according to the Bureau of Cannabis
Control (BCC), as many as one in five batches fail to pass California stipulations.
If your business manufactures cannabis products, you may be subject to routine monitoring to ensure that you are:
- Testing for residual solvents, pesticides and other foreign materials
- Checking all packaging and labeling before transporting to a retailer
- Utilizing child-resistant packaging on all cannabis products
- Limiting edible packages to 100 milligrams of THC per package and 10 milligrams of THC per serving
Your products may also fail inspection or be recalled if inaccurate claims are on the packaging. This can be especially problematic when it comes to THC levels or CBD levels in the product. This cause is by far the largest driver of failed tests in California.
Cannabis disposal services can help by managing the disposal of recalled or failed cannabis products and by addressing the difficult process of eliminating them to stay in compliance with federal and state regulations. These specialized services can handle cannabis waste properly by minimizing any potential environmental and public health risks.
It’s important to keep in mind that If you plan to destroy recalled cannabis products or products that do not pass lab inspection, state law states that you must quarantine the product for at least 72 hours. In addition, you must attach any relevant documents to the recalled products and must fulfill any track and trace reporting requirements.
The California Cannabis Track and Trace (CCTT) system tracks the movement of cannabis and cannabis products throughout the supply chain, known as “seed to sale” tracking by the Department of Cannabis Control.
Your Company Generates Multiple Waste Streams
Most businesses have multiple waste streams – some non-hazardous and others hazardous. Every cannabis nursery, distributor, dispensary, manufacturer and cultivator generates different types and different quantities of cannabis waste or marijuana waste.
Yet every type of waste stream has its own set of disposal regulations that must be followed.
Some of the most common types of cannabis waste include:
- Plant waste: All unusable parts of the cannabis plant, including leaves, stems and roots (typically non-hazardous, but still must be properly managed)
- Packaging waste: Any material used to package and label cannabis products
- Manufacturing waste: Waste generated during the manufacturing of cannabis products, including during the extraction, distillation and refinement processes
- Contaminated soil: Soil that contains pesticides or other chemicals used during the cultivation of cannabis plants
- Laboratory waste: Waste generated during the testing and analysis of cannabis products at labs, including testing kits
- Electronic waste: Electronics no longer needed to manage a business (E-waste is considered hazardous in California)
Only certain treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF) and landfills will accept particular types of waste. In some cases, a disposal company may need to transport waste out of state to find a particular facility that will accept a type of toxic waste.
One of the most important reasons to work with reputable cannabis waste disposal companies is to ensure your waste ends up at the correct facility. The best waste transportation companies have established relationships with treatment and disposal sites across the state and region. While it’s required to use a certified disposal company to transport hazardous waste in California, it’s a good idea to take advantage of this resource for all of your types of waste (hazardous or not) to ensure everything is transported to the right location.
You Need To Secure Your Waste
One of the most important services a disposal company can provide happens before disposal ever takes place.
Providing you with the necessary tools, including UN-rated containers, is critical to ensuring the secure handling of your waste.
UN-rated containers are air-tight for maximum odor protection. Your containers should include biodegradable lining to ensure proper hygiene and should be guaranteed to meet all state regulations to prevent odor and spillage.
Odor protection is a significant concern for both regulatory compliance and public relations. Improperly managed cannabis waste can emit strong odors, which may lead to complaints from nearby residents and attract unwanted attention.
This is where waste management companies play a crucial role in assisting cannabis businesses. UN-rated containers act as an air-tight barrier, preventing any offensive odors from escaping during storage and transportation.
You Must Create A Waste Disposal Plan
The Department of Cannabis Control requires that you develop a cannabis waste management plan if you want to produce cannabis products. If you are considering expanding your business to include cannabis products or to manufacture cannabis items, you must create a plan that explains how you will handle cannabis waste that is generated on your property.
There are a couple of important notes to keep in mind. First, any cannabis waste that is deemed hazardous must be disposed of off-site by licensed cannabis waste disposal companies. Secondly, anything that comes in contact with THC is considered hazardous waste.
An experienced cannabis waste management company will help you develop this waste plan. What should your plan include? A cannabis waste management plan should:
- Identify the type of cannabis waste your business generates. This includes any packaging or other byproducts that your industrial processes generate.
- Provide an overview of regulations that your business should meet and how you plan to meet them with your disposal processes.
- Explain how you will segregate and store your waste onsite. This may include the use of UN-approved containers.
- Outline the methods you plan to use for disposal. Some of the most common methods for companies that generate cannabis waste are incineration and composting.
- Describe what type of transportation services are required for your cannabis waste (hazardous, non-hazardous, etc.).
- Outline how you will maintain accurate records of disposal activities.
- Describe training requirements for employees and what types of activities/training you will offer.
- Develop an emergency response plan to address potential accidents or spills.
As part of your waste disposal plan, you can also include a waste pickup schedule. For some businesses, that may be more frequent than others.
An Important Partner For Your Business
Waste disposal companies are more than a service … They are a partner in your overall effort to meet state and federal regulations and to keep your community safe.
As a cannabis business that generates waste, it is your responsibility to ensure your waste arrives safely at its final destination. The cannabis waste management company you choose will not only help you meet this goal but work with you to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your waste management procedures.
