Curaleaf and TerraCycle partner on new recycling initiative

Curaleaf Holdings Inc., an international provider of cannabis consumer products, has announced a new cannabis packaging recycling initiative. This program is available at select New York dispensaries in partnership with TerraCycle, an international leader in recycling hard-to-recycle waste streams.

The new recycling initiative accepts cannabis packaging composed of glass, cardboard and flexible plastic materials for all edible, vaporizer and flower products from the following Curaleaf brands: Select, Find, Grassroots, Jams and B Noble. 

“Since entering and helping to build New York’s medical market in 2015 and then joining the adult-use market in 2023, it’s been a top priority for us at Curaleaf to help build the market in a way that is responsible and keeps the entire cannabis ecosystem in mind,” Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin says. “Our new recycling initiative with TerraCycle is an exciting step in the right direction for New Yorkers, and we look forward to finding opportunities to expand it across additional states, when possible.” 

The company says many cannabis products are packaged in combinations of flexible or rigid plastics and glass that are not recyclable in curbside recycling services throughout New York. Curaleaf partnered with TerraCycle to give cannabis consumers a sustainable solution for their empty packaging.  

Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and recycled in accordance with regulatory guidelines for each material stream, ensuring no cannabis residue remains on the plastic. TerraCycle says the collected flexible plastic packaging will then be melted into plastic pellets that can be remolded to make new recycled products. 

The following New York Curaleaf dispensary locations accept empty cannabis containers for free recycling: 

• Curaleaf Carle Place, 255 Glen Cove Rd., Carle Place;  
• Curaleaf Hudson Valley, 8 N. Plank Rd., Newburgh;   
• Curaleaf Forest Hills, 107-18 70th Rd., Queens; and 
• Curaleaf Plattsburgh, 345 Cornelia St., Plattsburgh. 

The recycling initiative is Curaleaf's most recent addition to a repertoire of sustainability initiatives. Following review of its business practices to identify areas for greater efficiency while partnering with external environmental consultants to lighten environmental footprints, Curaleaf says it is committed to leading the cannabis industry by example.  

Sustainability is one of three key pillars of Curaleaf’s “Rooted in Good” Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. As a part of this work, Curaleaf has developed a carbon-tracking and supply chain transparency program through its partnership with Map Collective and its internal sustainability task force. With recycling programs developed in Arizona and now in New York, Curaleaf says it is working toward building a more sustainable company.