Tweed, TerraCycle Reach Cannabis Packaging Recycling Milestone

Tweed and TerraCycle launched a cannabis packaging recycling program in October 2018 and recently celebrated a significant milestone with the collection of more than 1 million pieces of used cannabis packaging from across Canada⁠—recycling more than 22,000 pounds of plastic containers, tubes and bottles.

"When Tweed launched the partnership with TerraCycle, it was the first recycling program of its kind for cannabis packaging. Reaching this incredible milestone of over 1 million pieces collected in less than one year demonstrates the value of the program," said Mark Zekulin, CEO of Canopy Growth Corporation, Tweed's parent company, in a statement. "We're committed to doubling down on our efforts to expand the program over the next year and bringing in new participants from all across Canada."

"Park benches, picnic tables, playgrounds—these are just a few examples of products that can be created from the recycled cannabis packaging collected through the Tweed | TerraCycle program," said Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, in a statement. "Through our mission to 'Eliminate the Idea of Waste,' we've proven that solutions do exist for items that may seem difficult to recycle. Together, we can reduce the environmental impact of the cannabis industry and pave the way for a greener future."

Originally launched in select Tweed, Tokyo Smoke and third-party retail stores, the Tweed | TerraCycle program has expanded across the country to now include 280 retail participants.

Below is a tally of the number of pieces collected as of August 31, 2019, broken out by province:

The program not only provides recycling solutions for Tweed-branded cannabis packaging, it also encourages consumers to recycle their empty cannabis packaging from any Canadian licensed producer. The program accepts any and all cannabis packaging, including outer plastic packaging, inner plastic packaging, tins, tubes, plastic bottles, plastic caps and flexible plastic bags.

Consumers are invited to drop off their used cannabis packaging at participating Tweed | Terracycle retail locations. They may also register online for free pre-paid shipping labels to mail in their empty containers for recycling.