Here's how O'Neil Rudolph plans to incentivize cannabis brands and consumers to focus on recycling efforts.

O’Neil Rudolph is still two years away from being able to legally purchase recreational cannabis in the U.S. but that hasn’t stopped her from working on a solution to the industry’s waste problem.

Inspired by environmental efforts in other sectors, Rudolph, 19, began thinking about ways to encourage both consumers and retailers to stay mindful of cannabis waste. She felt that the majority of consumers would be interested in recycling initiatives if they were encouraged and made accessible.

Rudolph’s solution is cannachange , a smartphone app aimed at reducing some of the nearly 140 million tonnes  of waste produced by the U.S. cannabis industry annually.

Set to launch next month, Rudolph has already partnered with 27 dispensaries across the U.S. and she is actively working to recruit more dispensaries and recycling centres and is even eyeing a Canadian expansion in the future.

“It was always my hope to have some sort of bigger impact on an industry that really needs more sustainability initiatives,” she says.

How it works

Consumers can download the cannachange app for free from Google Play and the App Store. Then they create a profile and verify their identity, which generates a personal QR code.

Participating dispensaries are listed in the app and consumers can return their cannabis recyclables to those locations for points, which can be used for store credit. Consumers also receive points for using a reusable bag while making purchases. Once consumers have piled up 25 points, they receive a $5 dispensary credit.

The recyclables are collected in a cannachange collection bin and are transported to local recycling facilities to be processed and broken down into new materials.

A cannachange branded collection bin and reusable bag.

For dispensaries, the app allows them to build a store profile and track the total waste saved while also creating more exposure for their stores and a point of differentiation from their competitors.

Rudolph says the response has been very positive, especially in the states that have a long history with medical and legal cannabis, like California, Colorado and Oregon.

“A lot of dispensaries were immediately on board,” she says.

“Many of them had tried to set up an initiative similar to this but didn’t have a consumer incentive or they didn’t have enough consumer interest. So I think when you see something like an app that consumers can use more easily, it’s more accessible and they’re getting rewarded, they were immediately on board with it.”

Recycling challenges

Ensuring that recyclables are indeed ending up at recycling centres and not in landfills has been more of a challenge. This isn’t an issue in most states, Rudolph says, noting that Massachusetts-based dispensaries are banned from depositing recyclable material into landfills, but it has limited cannachange’s ability to operate in some jurisdictions.

“In states that are already lacking in sustainability initiatives and aren’t typically as sustainability or cannabis-friendly, it has been more difficult to ensure that recyclables collected through cannachange will be transported to a recycling facility to be processed for reuse,” Rudolph says.

She adds while there are still recycling services offered in those states, they’re not as widely available. Some jurisdictions even deem cannabis packaging non-recyclable waste once it comes into contact with the plant.

“I hope that with the expansion of cannachange, we can also help make recycling services more widely available and encourage all dispensaries to work with one, regardless of whether or not it’s required by law,” Rudolph says.

In Canada, complaints about excessive packaging are common and cannabis waste is a growing problem.

Some producers have opted to move away from traditional plastics in favour of aluminum, ceramic, glass and even ocean reclaimed plastics and plant-based plastics, such as those made from hemp. But it takes a lot of work to convert hemp to bioplastic and the current infrastructure is lacking, according to industry leaders .

Packaging regulations also make it difficult to keep sustainability top of mind. To meet regulatory requirements, cannabis packaging often contains different materials which require separation in order to be recycled. In 2020, the Alberta Bottle Depot Association, which represents over 200 depots throughout the province, began campaigning to have a deposit placed on cannabis packaging.

According to their proposal, a deposit refund system would create a legal requirement for manufacturers to package products in recyclable materials, per CBC.

In 2018, TerraCycle partnered with Canopy Growth on a national recycling program, which now operates two streams: one recycling program for packaging and related materials, like joint tubes and plastic bottles, and another for disposable vape cartridges and batteries, though that program is limited to Canopy Growth produced vape products.

Consumers can drop off their recyclables at any Tweed or Tokyo Smoke store, as well as some third-party retailers.

Canadian cannabis producer Auxly has also partnered with electronic waste recycling company Greentec to create a free program for retailers for the recycling of vape pens, cartridges and batteries.

In 2020, Quebec’s SQDC, which has a monopoly on the sale of recreational cannabis within the province, partnered with TerraCycle on another recycling program.

Though it didn’t launch until August, it still saved nearly 21 tonnes of plastic from ending up in landfills in 2020-21. Quebecers didn’t receive money for returning their recyclables, as there is no deposit on SQDC containers, except for beverages included in the RECYC-QUÉBEC consignment system.

TerraCycle did not respond to The GrowthOp ’s interview request but the SQDC has not been shy about highlighting its efforts to combat cannabis waste.

The company is reportedly “working with experts in sustainable development to come up with an action plan for containers and packaging that is more eco-responsible.”

For Rudolph, she says while cannachange is focused on its U.S. launch and expansion right now, Canada is also calling.

“We’ve gotten a lot of questions about if we’re going to be available in Canada,” she says.

“I didn’t realize we would have so much interest there, as well.”

As for her age, she says she hasn’t had any problems working in cannabis since cannachange is not a plant-touching business. She is also a medical cannabis consumer, which allows her to legally purchase cannabis even though she’s under 21. The app will also be available to people who, like Rudolph, are under the legal age but have a medical cannabis card.

“The dispensaries will check IDs when consumers use cannachange, and if they’re under 21, they’ll just require a medical card as well,” she explains.

A month out from launch, Rudolph says she’s excited about future prospects but well aware of all the work that lies ahead. The company is also speaking with select cannabis brands about potentially incorporating a cannachange symbol on applicable products, allowing consumers to easily know which products will be destined for reuse, rather than the landfill.

“We are getting more interest from other dispensaries every day and hoping to facilitate relationships between more recycling services and other states that don’t have a lot available,” Rudolph says.

“We’re hoping to get as many dispensaries on board as possible throughout the U.S. within the next few years.”