How to Choose Sustainable Cannabis Packaging That Actually Works

Sustainable cannabis packaging isn’t just about choosing a material that sounds environmentally friendly. It’s about designing packaging that can actually be reused, recycled, or processed within the systems consumers have access to.

That’s one of the ideas Dymapak Founder Ross Kirsh shared in MiCIA Magazine’s recent feature, “Beyond the Plastic Jar,” which explores how materials, regulation, cost, and packaging design are changing across the cannabis industry.

What should cannabis brands consider when choosing sustainable packaging?

Ross points to a practical approach: look beyond sustainability claims and consider what actually happens to the package after the consumer is finished with it.

That can mean choosing packaging made with post-consumer recycled content, recyclable mono-materials, paperboard, or metal—but the best solution depends on the product, performance requirements, cost, and available recycling infrastructure.

Why is metal a top choice for sustainable cannabis packaging?

Metal has a practical end-of-life advantage: it isn’t just recyclable in theory; it has a well-established path back into the material stream.

• Metal is considered a forever material, meaning packaging made from steel or aluminum is infinitely recyclable without a loss of quality.
• Just as importantly, the recycling infrastructure already exists to support it at scale. About 65.5% of aluminum packaging is recycled in the U.S., with recycling rates reaching 75% in Europe.

But sustainability doesn’t stop at recyclability. Metal is also durable enough to support reuse and repurposing before it ever reaches the recycling bin.

• Metal packaging can withstand shipping, handling, repeated opening, and everyday use without easily cracking, tearing, or losing its shape. That durability helps protect the product inside while extending the useful life of the package itself.

• We designed our award-winning Squeeze & Turn™ Tin to pair the durability of metal with an unstrippable closure, delivering Child-Resistant functionality in a reusable, plastic-free format.

For brands evaluating more sustainable packaging options, durability matters. A package that holds up over time has a much better chance of being reused instead of immediately discarded.

The Bottom Line: For cannabis brands, sustainable packaging isn’t about choosing the format that makes the strongest marketing claim. It’s about reducing environmental impact without compromising child resistance, product protection, usability, or cost.

Read the Full Feature

Explore the issue MiCIA magazine and read Dymapak’s feature in “Beyond the Plastic Jar” on page 26 to learn more about how cannabis companies can play a role in reducing packaging waste.