An introduction to cannabis waste disposal

31-07-2019

Cannabis waste disposal: the birth of a new industry

While it certainly sounds odd at first, cannabis waste disposal has become just as much of an issue as other types of biomedical waste. As of today, medical marijuana farming and grand scale manufacturing is a rapidly growing industry, especially in the USA, where it is expected to reach 5.1 billion dollars by the end of the year, in California alone! Sales could even go as far as 57 billion dollars worldwide in 2027, which is only 8 years away.

However, as is the case with any industry, faster growth also results in more waste. As such, any product or material, that contains cannabis, or has come into contact with this medicinal plant, and cannot be used any longer, counts as cannabis waste. Examples include oils, extracts, trimmings, as well as certain edibles. It isn’t considered hazardous in itself, but that won’t be the case at all if it has had any contact with chemicals, toxic substances, flammables, etc. Which is basically why cannabis waste management companies have also gained in popularity alongside the market growth of this medicinal plant.

The process of cannabis waste disposal is clearly specified by state regulations. Any and all cannabis by-products must be professionally rendered BEFORE the waste itself is transported by a licensed facility. Once that happens, organic waste like cannabis is disposed of in a landfill or composted and sterilized to be reused. The frequency of cannabis waste disposal always depends on the scale of the business you’re running.

Despite the theory being so clear-cut, putting cannabis waste management into practice is a different story. After all, cannabis being what it is, states impose strict rules regarding its cultivation, in order to limit concerns of abuse, including companies being required to report all activities related to cannabis waste disposal. Not to mention that before companies or farmers can even begin to operate, they need a cannabis waste management plan that adheres to all state regulations to acquire their license.

What options are available for cannabis waste disposal?

Currently, there are four main ways to handle the disposal of cannabis waste. These are:
1. permitted landfills
2. composting
3. in-vessel digestion
4. incineration

According to Rich Thompson, a managing partner at TEC LLC (a technical engineering company),no matter what kind of disposal method you choose, it must meet the following requirements:
• Cannabis waste has to become “unrecognizable and unusable”
• Non-cannabis waste, such as other solid wastes, has to be incorporated with the cannabis waste itself. This has to result in a mixture, of which at least half should be non-marijuana waste, and placed in a secure container.

While this all may seem self-explanatory, “unrecognizable and unusable” are pretty broad terms, and leave many options open to interpretation. Of course, if you use one of Celitron’s newest method for cannabis waste rendering, composting is an excellent method you can use. In a lot of other cases, composting is made impossible, because bleach or other chemical agents are used to deface the plant. Since composting requires all organic materials to remain uncontaminated, you definitely need an on-site solution, which requires no chemical agents of any kind to work.

Another issue that may arise with cannabis waste disposal, is the risk of it being hazardous. Depending on the industry or the type of operations being run on-site, cannabis could risk being mixed with pesticides, ballasts from indoor cultivation, or even universal waste lamps. This is why it is especially important that you find a solution that can even handle the treatment of infectious waste. Not to mention that any solvent that is contaminated with marijuana residue cannot even cross state/county lines, so if there is no disposal site in your vicinity, an effective on-site equipment is all the more useful.

So what if we told you that we have an excellent way to handle cannabis waste disposal? One that also adheres to all regulations listed above? Read on to find out about Celitron’s own method, that is not only more practical, but also cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly!

What is the best equipment for handling cannabis waste disposal?

The problem is that there still aren’t that many options available to do so, meaning that getting a license can be much more challenging than you may think. On-site composting is certainly viable, but because of the high costs of such a waste disposal method, it isn’t exactly optimal for smaller businesses. Thankfully, there are waste management companies that provide more cost-effective methods of removal that are just as effective, if not even more so. Examples include Marijuana Waste Granulators, machines that can quickly deal with marijuana waste disposal by efficiently granulating and mincing organic by-products, in a similar way to Celitron’s on-site solution to cannabis waste disposal.

However, the patented technology of the ISS 500 CAN presents a whole new level for your on-site waste management. Based on Celitron's highly successful ISS (Integrated Sterilizer and Shredder),it isn’t just effective and safe, it is also extremely user-friendly: there is absolutely no need for any technical qualification to be able to operate it.

With the combination of steam sterilization and shredding, there is also absolutely no risk of the waste remaining hazardous or infectious. Using this cannabis waste shredder instead of other traditional methods is a great way to minimize costs in the long run, especially since it can reduce the volume of the original waste down to the fifth of its original size! All this without emitting any kind of harmful substances. You’re not only protecting your business: you’re protecting the environment too by adopting a solution that doesn’t burden our world unnecessarily!

If you’re looking for a quality solution to your cannabis waste disposal problems, why not check out Celitron's cannabis waste shredder?