Restalk’s first paper prototype derived from 100% recycled female cannabis fibers. The company seeks to reduce the use of plastics & tree-based paper used in the marijuana industry by offering sustainable packaging made solely from cannabis waste. (PRNewsFoto/Restalk, LLC)
For many companies, sustainability is just a buzzword. But for businesses like Restalk, it’s a fundamental principle upon which they operate.
Restalk recently developed a sustainable, tree-free paper product out of cannabis bio-waste. The technology could allow growers to use packaging made from recycled marijuana stalks.
Restalk recycles parts of the plant that contain marginal levels of psychoactive properties. Through the recycling process any subsequent THC compounds are removed.
“Now more than ever, cannabis is our nation’s largest cash crop,” Restalk CEO and co-founder Lucas Hildebrand says. “Only recently has there been any attention focused on the byproducts caused from the cultivation of medical and recreational marijuana. Our interest lies within what we can tangibly recycle and repurpose today, tomorrow and in the immediate future.”
Hildebrand says the company has successfully developed a supply chain of sustainable farmers and collected tons of material to begin the recycling process.
Working with several established brands, Restalk is developing strategic partnerships for eco-friendly source material, which is set to go into production this spring. Emerald Family Farms is a collective of California growers that have teamed up with Restalk.
“Their platform allows our farms to be more sustainable than ever,” Emerald Family Farms founder Patrick Murphy says. “The value in packaging products from our recycled stalks is amazing. Consumers who support Restalk products are fully backing sustainable growers everywhere.”
While the cannabis-based paper prototype is a great start, Hildebrand says it’s really just scratching the surface of what’s possible with marijuana bio-waste.
“There is a real viability for our material to be integrated across several sectors, whether it be in the form of composites, bio-plastics, textiles or even 3D printing,” he says.
“As the marijuana industry is predicted to generate $35 billion by 2020, it is imperative to implement beneficial environmental practices before this sector enters its next phase,” adds Restalk chairman Kyle Tracey. “There are tens of millions of marijuana plants grown each year on American soil. This waste adds up to thousands of tons of bio-waste, which is often disposed through outdoor burning, incinerators, landfills and composting — all of which lead to increases in our carbon footprint over time. Restalk will tackle the problem by providing an eco-friendly recycling solution to legal cultivators across the country.”