Tight regulations have unintended consequences, create waste, retailers and producers say

One year after the legalization of cannabis, Alberta retailers and producers are gearing up for the introduction of edibles to the market but aren't sure what to expect.   "The regulations aren't very understood for us right now," said Jayne Kent, who co-owns a Spiritleaf cannabis store in St. Albert.   "We welcome the opportunity to get that literature to see what the products are and understand how they're going to work for consumers."   Health Canada has released its rules surrounding potency, packaging and marketing of edibles, but retailers haven't seen the final products.   "It's a bit of a grey area," said Michael LeBlanc, manager of a Canna Cabana store on Parsons Road in Edmonton.   "The agency has regulations around flavouring and enticing children, so I'm still curious about how they're going to roll out products like gummy bears or flavoured cookies."   While edibles will technically become legal on Oct. 17, they won't be available for purchase until mid-December, since licensed producers have to submit their products to Health Canada for a 60-day review.   Despite the uncertainty, Aurora, an Edmonton based cannabis producer, has been investing in edibles for the last year.   "We are extremely well-prepared for legalization 2.0," said Aurora chief corporate officer Cam Battley.   The company is rolling out a diverse line of edibles, Battley said, ranging from vaping products to cannabis-infused beverages.   "We are anticipating significant interest among adult consumers in the new product forms. It's a novelty."  

'Pioneering an industry'

  Edible products could translate into $2.7 billion worth of sales in the next year, according to Deloitte's June report on the country's cannabis industry.   LeBlanc hopes the launch of edibles will be smoother than the introduction of legal cannabis in October 2018, which led to stock shortages and delayed licences for retailers.   "It's a bit of a wild west," he said. "I know we're pioneering an industry, so hopefully it gets rolled out pretty well." Customers have a keen interest in cannabis edibles, says Jayne Kent, who co-owns a Spiritleaf store in St. Albert. (Josee St-Onge/CBC) Customers are excited, Kent said, and have been asking for more information.   "People are curious, they really want to see what's coming."   Regardless of the format edibles will take, providing accurate information to consumers will be crucial, she said.   "It is a different way to consume cannabis and we need to be responsible about that," said Kent.   Users should start with a small dose, LeBlanc said, and be aware of how cannabis can interact with other intoxicants, like alcohol.   "We make sure to pass that information along to the customers and always tell them 'start low and go slow.' "  

Industry tackles waste

  Health Canada's strict rules are meant to keep cannabis out of the hands of children, but have also had unintended consequences.   The fledgling industry is grappling with the waste it generates through packaging, which must be child-proof and tamper-evident.   It has motivated at least two companies, Canopy Growth and High Tide, to create their own recycling system, in partnership with recycling company TerraCycle.   High Tide installed receptacles in its 25 Canna Cabana stores to collect empty packages, said chief operating officer Alex Mackay. Every Canna Cabana store in Alberta participates in the recycling program offered by its parent company, High Tide. (Josee St-Onge/CBC) Customers have embraced the program, Mackay said, returning about 210,000 pieces of recycling as of September.   "With what's going on with climate change, and awareness around the environment, people are really trying to have an impact at the grassroots level."   Restrictions around marketing are also perceived as excessive within the industry, said Battley. Producers and retailers are not currently allowed to advertise or promote their products.   He hopes Health Canada will loosen its rules over time to reflect the public's acceptance of legal cannabis.   "Cannabis has become mainstream, quite normal, and that's a healthy thing," Battley said.   "You're going to see that trend continue and that will be reflected, I believe, in the regulations surrounding cannabis in the future."

One year after the legalization of cannabis, Alberta retailers and producers are gearing up for the introduction of edibles to the market but aren’t sure what to expect.   “The regulations aren’t very understood for us right now,” said Jayne Kent, who co-owns a Spiritleaf cannabis store in St. Albert.   “We welcome the opportunity to get that literature to see what the products are and understand how they’re going to work for consumers.”   Health Canada has released its rules surrounding potency, packaging and marketing of edibles, but retailers haven’t seen the final products.   “It’s a bit of a grey area,” said Micheal LeBlanc, manager of a Canna Cabana store on Parsons Road in Edmonton.   “The agency has regulations around flavouring and enticing children, so I’m still curious about how they’re going to roll out products like gummy bears or flavoured cookies.”   While edibles will technically become legal on Oct. 17, they won’t be available for purchase until mid-December, since licensed producers have to submit their products to Health Canada for a 60-day review.   Despite the uncertainty, Aurora, an Edmonton based cannabis producer, has been investing in edibles for the last year.   “We are extremely well-prepared for legalization 2.0,” said Aurora chief corporate officer Cam Battley.   The company is rolling out a diverse line of edibles, Battley said, ranging from vaping products to cannabis-infused beverages.   “We are anticipating significant interest among adult consumers in the new product forms. It’s a novelty.”  

‘Pioneering an industry’

  Edible products could translate into $2.7 billion worth of sales in the next year, according to Deloitte’s June report on the country’s cannabis industry.   LeBlanc hopes the launch of edibles will be smoother than the introduction of legal cannabis in October 2018, which led to stock shortages and delayed licences for retailers.   “It’s a bit of a wild west,” he said. “I know we’re pioneering an industry, so hopefully it gets rolled out pretty well.”   Customers have a keen interest in cannabis edibles, says Jayne Kent, who co-owns a Spiritleaf store in St. Albert. (Josee St-Onge/CBC)   Customers are excited, Kent said, and have been asking for more information.   “People are curious, they really want to see what’s coming.”   Regardless of the format edibles will take, providing accurate information to consumers will be crucial, she said.   “It is a different way to consume cannabis and we need to be responsible about that,” said Kent.   Users should start with a small dose, LeBlanc said, and be aware of how cannabis can interact with other intoxicants, like alcohol.   “We make sure to pass that information along to the customers and always tell them ‘start low and go slow.’ ”  

Industry tackles waste

  Health Canada’s strict rules are meant to keep cannabis out of the hands of children, but have also had unintended consequences.   The fledgling industry is grappling with the waste it generates through packaging, which must be child-proof and tamper-evident.   It has motivated at least two companies, Canopy Growth and High Tide, to create their own recycling system, in partnership with recycling company TerraCycle.   High Tide installed receptacles in its 25 Canna Cabana stores to collect empty packages, said chief operating officer Alex Mackay. Every Canna Cabana store in Alberta participates in the recycling program offered by its parent company, High Tide. (Josee St-Onge/CBC)   Customers have embraced the program, Mackay said, returning about 210,000 pieces of recycling as of September.   “With what’s going on with climate change, and awareness around the environment, people are really trying to have an impact at the grassroots level.”   Restrictions around marketing are also perceived as excessive within the industry, said Battley. Producers and retailers are not currently allowed to advertise or promote their products.   He hopes Health Canada will loosen its rules over time to reflect the public’s acceptance of legal cannabis.   “Cannabis has become mainstream, quite normal, and that’s a healthy thing,” Battley said.   “You’re going to see that trend continue and that will be reflected, I believe, in the regulations surrounding cannabis in the future.”

Danielle Kadjo Posted at 12:07 pm   Alberta's retailers and cannabis growers are preparing to sell edible products, one year after the legalization of the drug in Canada. The only downside is that, between excitement and uncertainty, they do not know what to expect.   Edible cannabis products are legal in Canada as of October 17.   However, they will only be available in stores or online in mid-December, as licensed producers must submit their products to Health Canada for a 60-day review.   A cloud of uncertainty   Health Canada has published the rules surrounding the concentration, packaging and marketing of edible cannabis products. Yet, there is uncertainty among many members of the industry.   The co-owner of the Spiritleaf cannabis store in St. Albert, Jayne Kent, is waiting to receive information to inquire. Canna Cabana store manager at Parsons Road in Edmonton, Michael LeBlanc, is in the same situation: We are a bit of a gray area.   Despite this uncertainty, the Edmonton-based cannabis company Aurora has been investing in edible products for a year.   General Manager Cam Battley said the company is deploying a wide range of edible products, ranging from vaping products to cannabis-infused beverages.   We expect great consumer interest in new product forms , he said.

Impatient customers

  According to Jayne Kent, customers are enthusiastic and ask for more information.   Regardless of the format that edibles will take, it will be crucial to provide accurate information to consumers , she said.

Industry tackles waste

  The young cannabis industry in Canada is struggling with the waste it generates through product packaging.   Health Canada's strict rules are designed to keep cannabis out of the reach of children.   At least two companies, Canopy Growth and High Tide, have decided to create their own recycling system, in partnership with the recycling company TerraCycle.   Food products could generate sales of $ 2.7 billion next year, according to the June report by Deloitte professional services firm on the Canadian cannabis industry.  

From swearing off chemicals and exclusively sourcing local, organic ingredients to opting for compostable packaging (or no packaging at all!), there's a new wave of eco-friendly makeup and skincare brands taking over the green beauty industry. And these makers aren't just greenwashing their products with buzzwords like "all-natural" on their bottles and calling it a day. They're making it their mission to ensure you feed your skin the purest ingredients nature has to offer while manufacturing more mindfully to keep their environmental footprint as small as possible.   But what exactly is a "zero-waste" product? As a whole, the term zero-waste means striving to create just that: no waste. In terms of product design, this can mean everything from completely recyclable or reusable packaging to production powered by renewable resources, all of which result in nothing going to waste or landfills. Zero-waste production may also mean working to source only local ingredients as this reduces energy spent on transportation and keeps chemicals out of the environment, respectively.   For brands like New York City-based LOLI, zero-waste means choosing responsibly-sourced, food-grade ingredients for its serums, masks, and toners instead of conventional synthetics and chemicals (which can be harsh on the skin and on the environment). For the makers of Canadian beauty brand, Elate, "zero-waste" is also about conscious packaging. By opting for reusable bamboo compacts and offering blush and foundation refills in easily recyclable aluminum tins, they can avoid single-use plastic, a material that has become an increasingly dangerous threat to our health and the health of our planet. As for body care line by Humankind, their shampoo bars (which work just like soap bars that you lather in your hair) skip plastic packaging altogether and their deodorant comes in refillable containers.   Want to see who else is shaking up the sustainable beauty game? Read ahead to discover our favorites, and learn about the simple changes you can make to make the world a greener place.

Have fun this Halloween season while keeping the environment in mind. Here are a few tips to consider as you prepare for your Halloween festivities:   1. Show your Halloween spirit with durable, reusable, and recyclable decorations.

• Choose decorations that you can use year after year.
• For recyclable decorations, look for plastics that are #1-5 or #7, as #6 and unlabeled plastics are not recyclable. Avoid metallic or glitter-coated decorations, as these cannot be recycled. Questions? Check out icgov.org/recycle.

  . Create an eco-friendly costume.

• Get creative with what you already have around the house to create a costume.
• Share costumes with friends.
• Shop secondhand. Check out our great selection of local secondhand and consignment stores for costumes.

  3. Offer sustainable treats.

• Consider candy options with less packaging, organic or Fairtrade status. Alternatively, offer a treat other than candy.
• Sometimes individually-wrapped candy is the easiest and safest option. In this case, you can still make a difference by recycling the candy wrappers through Terracycle. Connect with your neighbors to fill up a box to send to Terracycle.

  4. For trick-or-treating, collect your candy and treats in a reusable or durable option.

• Consider a reusable cloth bag, pillow case, or wicker basket (among many other options) to carry your candy around while trick-or-treating.

  5. When the festivities end, remember to compost your pumpkins and gourds.

• To compost at the curb, remove any candles or lights from inside your pumpkin and place it in your organics container (City cart, or personal 20-35 gallon upright container), or in a paper yard waste bag, and then set it at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection on your normal service day.
• Residents can also take pumpkins to the Iowa City Landfill's compost facility to be composted at no charge.

The Tour de Trenton returns for 2019 on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m.  

It’s not a race, but a leisurely tour of the city to celebrate all things made in Trenton past and present. Trenton Cycling Revolution has partnered with Terracycle with support from The Trenton Council of Civic Associations for the “Made in Trenton” tour.

 

This is inspired by one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, the Lower Trenton Bridge, also known as the “Trenton Makes, The World Takes” bridge.

  The ride will focus on the city’s past and present showcasing locations of businesses that speak to the phrase Made in Trenton. The route is 14 miles and will include a rest stop with facilities at the halfway point. A ride themed T-shirt is included with registration for the first 100 riders.  

The tour is escorted by the Trenton Police Department and attracts people from neighboring communities as well as New York and Pennsylvania.

 

The number of volunteers and attendees continues to grow with recent rides having over 150 riders.

 

This year’s riders will meet in the parking lot of the William Trent House at 15 Market St., Trenton. Ride is $15 with online registration, $20 day-of. Register online at www.TrentonCycling.org

Trenton Cycling Revolution is an all-volunteer community organization, originally founded in the 1990s.

 

For more information, email trentoncyclingrevolution@gmail.com.

Most of us know about the waste produced by industries like food and fashion, but one that can be overlooked is the beauty industry. A lot of the traditional packaging holding your favourite lotions, creams, and serums is difficult to recycle, resulting in a hell of a lot of waste. But thankfully, brands are taking it upon themselves to make a change for the better. Here's a few UK-based beauty brands that offer refillable products.   As Refinery29 reports, it is estimated that 12 billion tonnes of beauty packaging will be in landfill by 2050. In fact, around 30 to 40 percent of current landfill waste is down to cosmetics packaging, notes Women's Health. While some brands are going down the commendable zero packaging route, others are introducing refill pouches and pods. So not only do you usually get a discount on your regular products, but you'll also help less waste end up where it shouldn't.   Right now, it's common for a select few products to be refillable. But the more you support these efforts, the more brands will realise that this is the way forward. Some are already thinking ahead. REN Clean Skincare has teamed up with recycling company TerraCycle to launch six of their bestselling products in special glass bottles that aim to be refilled more than 100 times. They're not available just yet, but keep your eyes peeled.   In the meantime, there's plenty of other sustainably-minded beauty names to know about.

The thrill that comes with dressing up on Halloween and collecting candy in neighbourhoods decked out with glowing jack-o’-lanterns, stringy spiderwebs, spooky gravestones and haunting music makes it one of the most exciting days of the year. But this celebration comes with a scary aftermath as more and more cheaply-made costumes, one-off decorations and candy wrappers are ending up in landfills.   But it doesn’t have to be the case. With a little thought, it’s possible to celebrate more sustainably and avoid or reduce the amount of single-use plastics. Here are a few suggestions.   Get creative with costumes   Buying second-hand costumes from thrift stores, borrowing from friends and neighbours and upcycling items in your closet are ways to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. But not everyone wants to spend time rummaging through a second-hand store to come up with a costume. After all, the convenience of ready-made costumes is part of the appeal for many. That’s why the increasingly popular costume swaps are a great resource for families.   “A Halloween costume is going to be worn once,” says Amanda Newman, who owns Tokki, a curated shop for preloved kid’s clothes located in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood. “The idea of going out and buying a costume for one use just doesn’t make sense, especially now. I think everyone is trying to make that shift to buying second-hand or not using single-use plastics, it’s really on the top of our minds right now, and every little thing really counts. The costume swap is fun and you’re doing a good thing for the environment.” Newman has hosted a Halloween Costume Swap for the past three years. She started after she realized that kids’ costumes are expensive and are often only worn once. The idea of a swap fit right into the ethos of her shop — providing sustainable fashion choices and offering a meeting place for the community, says Newman.   “People were really happy to just get a costume and donate to a great cause,” says Newman. All proceeds from this season’s costume sales are going to the Native Women’s Resource Centre.   This year’s swap took place on Oct. 5 and the racks were filled with the usual costumes — princess, firefighter, astronaut and cute animals like sharks, butterflies, bumblebees and lions, for kids from infants to about 10 years old. The event continues until Halloween. People can either swap a costume or buy a costume for a minimum $5 donation.   Look for costume swaps on Facebook neighbourhood groups, at local schools and community centres.   Karen Ziegler, who started a costume swap two years ago in Toronto’s east end says the swaps are a great way to bring the community together. She decided to organize a swap when several parents in one of her Facebook groups showed interest.   “I think everyone is at a point where they are feeling anxious and want to feel like they are doing something. It may feel like a small thing, but it’s something,” says Toronto mom Ziegler. “This year my son Jake will dress up in a second-hand Spider-Man costume and my partner and I are going as Thomas the (Tank Engine), made out of painted cardboard boxes.” The Toronto Public Library’s environmentalist in residence Sophi Robertson organized the costume swap at Richview Library in Etobicoke, which takes place Oct. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m., as well as a costume upcycle event on Oct. 26 from 12 to 2 p.m. as part of the library’s Our Fragile Planet program series that provides environmental education and awareness programs.   “It’s a way of reducing waste by not going to purchase something new and keeping those costumes in circulation and providing easy access to them,” she says.   Ditch the plastic — make your own decorations   Halloween has become one of the biggest decorating holidays of the year. It’s fun to get creative rather than rush off to a dollar store. Search your house or visit a thrift store for items to reuse and recycle. And then of course there are pumpkins, which are not just decorations, they are edible too.   Easy home projects include making a front-yard cemetery by turning cardboard boxes into tombstones and scrap pieces of wood into crosses; painting paper or cardboard black and cutting them into bat shapes to suspend from the porch or tree branches or tape to a window. The pumpkin is the classic plastic-free Halloween decor item. Once it’s carved and used as a decoration, why not jump on the pumpkin-spice food trend? Roast the seeds and cut the flesh up to make soups, pies, loaves and cookies. Compost what you can’t eat.   Hand out greener treats and recycle candy wrappers   Halloween is all about the candy. But after the trick-or-treating has ended, the environmental impact of all those plastic wrappers — everything from mini chocolate bars to chips and candies going in the garbage can be huge. “It can be hard to find candy that isn’t wrapped in plastic,” says Ziegler.   Dots, Junior Mints, Mike and Ikes and Milk Duds all come in tiny cardboard boxes, but like the rest of the candy handed out on Halloween these are not recycled through municipal waste management programs. Many of us are under the impression that these treat size-cardboard boxes are recyclable, but according to Solid Waste Management Services for the City of Toronto, only the regular-size candy boxes are acceptable in recycling.   “Small cardboard boxes, like the tiny Smarties boxes, are not likely to be captured into the right material stream due to their size, so these should go in the garbage. Foil wrappers, candy wrappers and chip bags also go in the garbage bin,” says Nadine Kerr, manager of resource recovery, solid waste management for the city. If you are unsure about what goes where you can check the Waste Wizard online or get the TOwaste app.   Nestle Canada, maker of many of the popular Halloween chocolate and confectioneries, including those miniature boxes of Smarties, has acknowledged its waste problem. Its website states the company has committed to making 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. “We are phasing out all plastics that are nonrecyclable or hard to recycle for all our products worldwide by 2025.” Meanwhile, a 2019 Greenpeace brand audit named Nestle the top plastic polluter in Canada.   TerraCycle, a waste management company that specializes in hard-to-recycle materials such as all that Halloween candy packaging, can take up the slack. While some programs are free, such as the Nespresso capsule recycling program, most come at a cost. TerraCycle boxes are sold online and at Staples. The Snack Wrapper Program, a small box (10”x10”x18”) costs $86 and comes with a prepaid shipping label. According to TerraCycle’s website you can send them any brand and size of snack wrappers. This includes individual candy wrappers, cookie wrappers, snack bags, multi-pack snack bags, and family-size snack bags. The plastics are separated, melted down and turned into small pellets that can be moulded into new shapes and products.   Robertson, the library’s environmentalist in residence suggests handing out pencils and erasers, which she notes are also safe for kids with food allergies.        

Assim que acabamos de usar um produto ou de consumir algum alimento, destinamos o que sobra para o lixo. Sobrou, é lixo. Quase uma atitude automática.

It has partnered with TerraCycle. By INVISION Staff   (PRESS RELEASE) MIAMI – Thema Optical, an Italian manufacturer of high-end and custom-made eyewear with a U.S. factory in Miami, has announced a new recycling program in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle.   Thema manufacturers made-to-measure, bespoke eyewear through its patented 3D Acetate Technology where every design is “sculpted” like an art piece.   Revolutionizing the eyewear industry, Thema creates unique and exciting collections that reflect the consumer’s personality without compromising sustainability. During production, some acetate waste is leftover in the manufacturing process. With the help of TerraCycle, Thema will recycle the excess acetate so that it can be processed into sheets and used to make new acetate products.   “Thema is a global company that respects the importance of sustainability and the major role each of us plays as stewards of our Earth,” ,” said Giulia Valmassoi, chief executive officer of Thema Optical’s North America branch. “Partnering with TerraCycle has made it possible to implement this new recycling program in our facility.”   TerraCycle specializes in collecting and re-purposing hard-to-recycle waste through a variety of platforms, including large-scale recycling, which helps manufacturing facilities like Thema recycle large volumes of waste.   “At TerraCycle, our mission has always been to eliminate waste, recycle the unrecyclable and use our innovative business solutions to minimize human impact on the planet,” said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. “It’s through partnerships like the one we enjoy with Thema that allow us to fulfill our objective and help preserve the environment for future generations.”   For more information about Thema Optical, visit iGreenEyewear.com or call 786-803-8881.