A Quick Guide to Cannabis Waste Disposal
Cannabis is quickly growing as a popular medical treatment all over the US. As states legalize this treatment option and the cannabis industry grows, the waste management industry must develop along with it to accommodate this new waste. We’ve created a quick guide to cannabis waste disposal so you can understand how these industries are growing together.
Cannabis Waste Definition
The cannabis plant is native to the Americas and people use it to make medicinal and recreational drugs where it is legal to do so. Growing this plant and using it to develop the appropriate drugs creates waste, just as all industries create waste. The government considers anything that comes into contact with the cannabis during the growing, making, transporting, and selling processes waste. For example, the dirt that grows the cannabis plant, packaging that contained cannabis materials during transport from the manufacturer to the retailer, and cannabis oils that expire on a retail shelf are all cannabis waste. There are certain restrictions regarding how anyone involved in any of these processes can dispose of this waste.
Disposal Restrictions
Regulations continue to shift as different local and state governments legalize cannabis in their areas. However, there are restrictions on cannabis disposal that apply regardless of location. Your company should learn the local or state regulations as well as these general restrictions.
The most important restriction to understand is that whoever disposes of the cannabis waste must make it unusable and unrecognizable. To make the waste unusable, you must mix the cannabis with other forms of waste. For example, you can mix parts of the cannabis plant, such as trimmings, with other yard waste. You can mix liquid cannabis waste with something absorbent, such as cat litter. Alternatively, a waste management company can help you follow these restrictions and safely dispose of the waste.
Disposal Options
There are a few common options for cannabis waste disposal; you may not have access to all these options depending on local laws. For instance, some areas allow you to dispose of non-hazardous cannabis waste in landfills, while other areas do not. You may compost the cannabis, which is an eco-friendly way to save money and help the environment. To prepare the cannabis waste for composting or to remove the cannabis elements for other types of disposal, you or a waste management company can use a digester system. Lastly, incineration is the fastest and most affordable disposal option.
This quick guide to cannabis waste disposal summarizes what you need to know about cannabis waste. If the cannabis waste is hazardous, you will need to go beyond these basics and hire a waste management company. Clean Management Environmental Group offers disposal services in San Diego and other areas for hazardous waste, cannabis waste, and other types of waste. Contact us for a quote today.