Everyone has gone through sticker shock at one point or another in their lives. When it comes to cannabis waste disposal, you don’t want to be caught off guard.
Cannabis waste disposal is a specialized service that is necessary for your business to remain compliant in a highly regulated industry. Yet despite universal guidelines that you must follow, cannabis waste disposal fees vary among service providers.
As you shop around for your cannabis business, knowing what goes into those fees is important not only for budgeting but also for ensuring your business receives the value it deserves from your chosen service provider.
Often, that means looking beyond a list of services and diving deep into understanding how the training, safety precautions and specialized software that goes on behind the scenes can add tremendous value to your partnership with a cannabis waste disposal company.
What Does A Cannabis Waste Disposal Company Do?
A cannabis waste disposal company specializes in the safe disposal of waste generated during the cultivation, processing and packaging of cannabis products.
There are several types of cannabis waste, including:
- Plant material
- Unused or expired products
- Packaging materials
- Extraction byproducts
- Contaminated materials
- Laboratory waste
- Cleaning chemicals
- Waste water
- Contaminated soil
- Equipment waste
- Electronic waste
- Solid waste
Disposal companies will offer services like collection, transportation and disposal of cannabis waste according to local regulations and environmental standards. They may also provide solutions for recycling or repurposing certain types of waste materials to minimize environmental impact and ensure compliance with regulations governing the cannabis industry.
What Goes Into Cannabis Waste Disposal Fees?
With any service, there are fees. It’s important to understand the breakdown of the fees so that your business can accurately budget for waste management expenses and understand the value they’re receiving from the service provider.
With any waste provider, you should gain more than simply disposal solutions. Every fee should be translated into optimized waste management, regulatory compliance, and environmental responsibility.
In general, some of the factors that determine waste disposal fees for your particular business include:
- Type and volume of waste
- Transportation costs
- Any services needed to meet regulatory compliance for your location
- Terms of service agreement (frequency of pickups, response time, service level guarantees)
- Market dynamics (pricing can fluctuate by demand)
However, it’s also important to go beyond these factors to determine the value you are getting. At Easy Waste Management, in addition to a high level of expertise, you’ll get:
- Higher paid employees who go through training, screening, background checks and random drug testing
- Trucks equipped with GPS and cameras for tracking and monitoring
- Trucks with the ability to weigh all waste to within 0.1 pounds so that accurate weights are available for manifests
- Drivers who carry destruction materials that can be used for rendering cannabis waste unusable and unrecognizable
- Specialized software that keeps all records of manifests for 10 years (going beyond Track and Trace Requirements of 7 years)
- Drivers or helpers who open drums to inspect what is inside and then properly categorize on the manifest
- Drivers and helpers trained to render waste unusable, categorize each barrel, match the serial number to its weight, and ensure each barrel is tamper-proof before leaving the facility
- Certified drivers who transfer the waste to its final destination, no matter how far of a distance they must go to dispose of it at a facility that will accept cannabis waste
There are some additional factors that can influence the fees you pay for cannabis waste disposal. For instance, as we mentioned above, only certain facilities accept cannabis waste. If your business is not located near one of these facilities, you may incur higher transportation costs to ensure your waste is disposed of at the correct facility. However, non-hazardous waste can be picked up and taken to the nearest transfer station.
Many disposal facilities also charge “safe handling fees” to ensure that the waste is disposed of immediately with manager supervision.
Deal Or No Deal? How To Ensure You Get Value
Your business should receive not only disposal solutions but also transparent pricing and personalized service, ensuring you get high value for what you pay.
Cannabis waste disposal companies should ensure you fully understand what you are paying for and the services you can expect.
Here are some additional factors to consider when choosing the right disposal solution:
Compliance Assurance: Choose a disposal company that guarantees compliance with local regulations and industry standards. This ensures that your business avoids any legal issues or penalties related to improper waste disposal.
Environmental Sustainability: Select a disposal solution that prioritizes environmental sustainability. Look for companies that offer eco-friendly disposal methods such as composting or recycling to minimize the impact on the environment.
Efficient Processes: Discuss any other benefits that will help you streamline your waste management. This can include features like online scheduling, timely pickups and automated reporting to save your business time and resources.
Customized Solutions: Seek out disposal providers that offer customized solutions tailored to their specific needs. Whether it’s bulk disposal for large-scale operations or flexible scheduling for small businesses, personalized service ensures that you only pay for what you need.
Customer Support: Businesses should look for providers that offer responsive customer service to address any concerns or issues promptly, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
Long-Term Partnerships: Establishing long-term partnerships with disposal companies can help you now and into the future as you grow your business. By building a strong relationship based on trust and reliability, you can enjoy ongoing value and peace of mind knowing your waste management needs are consistently met.
Transparency and Accountability: Choose a disposal provider that provides clear and detailed invoices, as well as regular updates on service performance to ensure transparency and accountability.
Industry Reputation: Research the reputation of potential disposal companies before making a decision. Look for providers with positive reviews and a proven track record of delivering high-quality service and customer satisfaction.
By considering these additional factors, you can make a more informed decision when choosing a cannabis waste disposal provider, ensuring that you not only receive value for your investment but also contribute to environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance.
