The cannabis industry can learn valuable lessons about sustainability from an unlikely source: Big Tobacco.
After 23 years in the tobacco industry, including a stint at SWM International (a 400-year-old paper pioneer providing specialty papers for cigarette filters, wraps, and chips), I have become more aware of regulatory obligations and the environment. We have seen first-hand how concerns are forcing companies to respond. Innovate and adapt to sustainability-focused markets.
Now, as Managing Director of Botani, SWM's cannabis specialty marketplace brand, I apply this knowledge to the nascent cannabis paper industry. We leverage cutting-edge advances to address similar challenges and opportunities and support our B2B customers' growth in this evolving landscape. Our hope is to show the entire industry that sustainable innovations developed over decades in the tobacco industry can be effectively applied to cannabis today.
What we learned from Big Tobacco
The tobacco industry has long struggled with sustainability challenges. From resource-intensive farming methods to extensive waste, the entire life cycle of a product places a burden on the environment. However, the industry has recently begun to address these issues in earnest.
Several years ago, tobacco companies were faced with the challenge of how to reuse byproducts that would otherwise end up in landfills. We have invented a process that removes stalks and scrap from factory floors and even regenerates tobacco into reusable products.
Tobacco is made of cellulose, so we reconstituted it into a new usable form. This process allows the fibers and solubles in the plant to be combined, creating a homogeneous, quality-controlled product that is easily blended with virgin tobacco, and eliminates natural variations between harvest years. It's done.
This reconstituted tobacco product had multiple benefits. It was generally cheaper than virgin cigarettes, leading to cost savings. This process also improved quality control and consistency of the final product, ensuring a uniform taste for consumers. Depending on the blend, reconstituted tobacco can represent 5% to 21% of the final product.
Botani reconnaissance mission
When we founded Botani, we saw an opportunity to apply this same sustainable process to the hemp and cannabis industry. Just as tobacco producers once had to pay to dispose of their waste, hemp producers who extract isolate and oil for gummies and tinctures face similar problems with biomass waste. I understand that. We realized that the leaves, stems, and flowers left after extraction can be purchased and turned into reusable products as wrappers, fillers, and rolling and pre-rolling paper.
Biodiverse products and processes
At Botani, our approach is centered around so-called “biodiversity” products. This term encompasses two important aspects of our sustainability efforts.
First, we work with annual crops like hemp. Hemp regenerates each year, requiring less water and oxygen to grow. Second, using hemp biomass to make paper not only recycles, but also creates an additional source of income for farmers and producers by turning waste into a valuable resource.
Our commitment to biodiversity continues into our manufacturing processes. We are investing in equipment and alternative fuels to reduce energy and water usage. Some of our factories are transitioning to biomass boilers that use wood byproducts instead of coal or gas-based fuels.
This process is not only environmentally friendly; It scales. It is now possible to produce a homogeneous and consistent product that can be dosed accurately. This is an important factor as the industry moves towards increased regulation. Whether in wraps, fillers, or pre-rolls, our reconstituted hemp products are consistent in flavor, active ingredient content, and release.
Lately, we've seen the market shift towards pre-rolls, perhaps because of their convenience. Demand for booklets is flat, but use of cones is skyrocketing. This trend makes sense in North America, where hand-rolled cigarettes are less common. Our reconstituted hemp filler products are perfectly positioned to meet this demand, offering uniform pre-rolls that can be combined with flower, properly formulated with THC or CBD, and satisfy both consumers and regulators. Provides a consistent base that can be flavored to create.
Sympact
Botani's scouting and biodiversity practices are fully aligned with our parent company SWM International's sustainability initiative 'ThinPact'. ThinPact represents our commitment to moving towards more sustainable solutions and processes and supporting our clients and partners in their transition.
Our program is based on four main pillars: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, eco-designing our product portfolio and social engagement. We have reduced our energy usage by 9% since 2021 to date. We are on track to achieve zero deforestation and zero landfill use by 2030.
Our commitment to sustainability continues and we are excited to be at the forefront of these innovations in the cannabis industry. As we continue to develop new products and processes, we remain committed to our goal of doing more with less. Just as the tobacco industry was forced to innovate, the cannabis sector now has an opportunity to leap forward by building sustainability into its foundation from the beginning.
Photo provided by: Mart Production
