The cannabis industry in California is booming, and with it, unfortunately, comes a significant amount of waste. However, it doesn’t all need to end up in a landfill. While marijuana waste does have to follow special regulations, there are more eco-friendly options for disposing of many of the materials that your business produces. If your Santa Clarita company is interested in the potential to recycle cannabis waste, keep reading for tips to get started!
The Basics of Santa Clarita Hazardous Waste Disposal
Before we dive into your options for marijuana waste recycling and composting, it’s important to understand the main guidelines around cannabis disposal. In the state of California, the following apply:
- Cannabis waste is governed by rules from the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), CalCannabis, and the Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch (MCSB), and CalRecycle
- California considers cannabis waste a “special regulated waste“
- Depending on the type of marijuana waste, it can be classified as organic or hazardous waste
- It is your responsibility as a cannabis licensee to adhere to Track and Trace regulations and ensure cannabis waste is rendered unusable and unrecognizable
Between the rules from the state’s regulators and the main variances between products in the cannabis industry, there are many additional details we could get into. But, for now, you can consider the above your crash course in cannabis waste management protocols.
Organic Waste vs. Hazardous Waste
Whether or not cannabis waste disposal can be achieved through composting or recycling largely depends on the type of waste you’re dealing with. A cannabis cultivator, for instance, is more likely to generate significant amounts of plant waste, which can be composted (once it’s been mixed with enough aggregate material to make it “unusable and unrecognizable”). In fact, California requires cannabis businesses that generate more than two cubic yards of solid waste per week to recycle their organic waste.
On the flip side, cannabis waste that meets any of the qualities of hazardous waste must be treated as such. Things like pesticides and the chemicals used to make vape pens and other products need to be handled differently.
Last but not least, inorganic waste falls somewhere between the two. For instance, dispensaries often need to dispose of cannabis packaging and other products that don’t fall into the hazardous waste category. Anything that contains or has come in contact with THC will need to follow state regulations for cannabis waste. This means using a secured waste receptacle, rendering waste unusable and unrecognizable, etc. Once those guidelines are met, waste haulers can pick up and recycle these cannabis products.
Finding a Trusted Cannabis Waste Management Provider in Santa Clarita, CA
Whether you’re a grower primarily generating organic cannabis plant material and wastewater or your storefront is generating vape pen packaging and other plastic wastes, it’s critical to have a compliant cannabis waste management plan. Failure to do so can lead to enormous fines or, even worse, loss of licenses. For this reason, it’s critical to look for appropriate accreditations when evaluating a cannabis waste provider in Santa Clarita.
If you value sustainability and want waste solutions that keep cannabis waste out of landfills, consider contacting Easy Waste Management. We’ll help you responsibly manage your cannabis waste while keeping you compliant. Request a free consultation to get started.
