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Everything to Know About CBD’s Impact on the Environment
Have you ever wondered what impact your preferred CBD brand has on the environment? For most consumers, supporting businesses committed to sustainability and eco-friendliness has become very important, and the same holds true for CBD companies. While a newer industry, CBD’s impact on the environment can be both positive or negative, which means consumers must be diligent about finding one with business practices they can support.
Consumers favor sustainable companies
A study by IBM and the National Retail Federation found that nearly 70% of consumers in the US and Canada believe it’s imperative for brands to be sustainable and eco-friendly. After polling 19,000 people of all ages from several countries, the overwhelming majority indicated that they were willing to change their shopping habits to support the environment.
So what does this mean? It means that many consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that businesses have on the environment, and they’re committed to buying from brands that are transparent about the origins of their products and how those products are produced.
In fact, the study showed that, globally, over 70% of consumers would pay a premium for eco-friendly goods. And this extends to CBD companies as well. With the popularity of CBD skyrocketing in recent years, consumers want to know about CBD’s impact on the environment.
How can CBD companies benefit the environment?
The fact that CBD comes from hemp puts CBD companies in a unique position to actually benefit the environment. Hemp is, among many other things, able to replenish the soil and produce sustainable packaging materials. For further proof of hemp’s benefits on the environment, here are five primary ways that hemp is sustainable:
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Hemp uses less water than other crops: Many other popular crops—like cotton—require a lot of water to grow well. However, hemp needs less than a third of that amount of water to grow.
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Hemp does well in small spaces: Besides being adaptable to different soils and climates, hemp has the added benefit of growing well in small spaces. This advantage decreases farmers’ land usage.
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Hemp returns nutrients to the soil: Unsustainable farming practices can deplete the vital nutrients and minerals in the soil, which leads to soil degradation. Hemp, on the other hand, returns a large percentage of nutrients to the ground, resulting in healthier soil.
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Naturally pest-, disease-, and fungus-resistant: Commercial fungicides and pesticides are not suitable for the environment or consumers. Luckily, hemp is naturally resilient to these factors and does not succumb to diseases, fungi, or pests easily. This benefit means that farmers can use fewer chemicals on their hemp crops.
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Hemp can slow down agricultural deforestation: Rainforests are being destroyed to make room for agricultural land, which is having devastating effects on the environment. However, because hemp can grow in small spaces, it can play a role in helping to reduce deforestation.
The benefits that the hemp plant has on the environment cannot be understated. This plant makes it easy for CBD companies to have sustainable business practices. But while that might be true, there is a flip side. CBD companies also have the power to hurt the environment if they’re not careful.
CBD’s impact on the environment isn’t always positive
If you’re looking for a CBD company that’s conscientious about the environment, be sure to take a closer look at the solvents a brand uses and the farming practices it has in place.
CBD’s impact on the environment is affected by how much companies are involved at all stages of their products’ creation. For example, the use of toxic solvents in the production process is harmful to the environment. Irresponsible farming practices also have a negative impact.
Luckily, many hemp farmers are committed to sustainability, so most of the time, that aspect of the CBD production process is usually eco-friendly. But if CBD companies aren’t using sustainable business practices throughout the rest of their process, CBD’s impact on the environment can turn out to be more negative than positive.
How Kat’s Naturals helps the environment
At Kat’s Naturals, sustainability at all points of the production process is a vital part of our brand values. Our team is committed to being eco-friendly, and we’re very open about how we achieve this goal. For example, at Kat’s Naturals, here are four key ways that we help improve and preserve the environment.
1. We create product bottles, lids, droppers, and packaging that consumers can recycle
One simple way for consumers to ensure CBD’s impact on the environment is a positive one is by supporting brands that make recyclable components. The world does not have unlimited resources; they’re finite. So recycling paper helps to save trees and forests, which in turn helps protect wildlife.
Recycling plastic also means that less plastic needs to be produced, which is an excellent thing as plastic never breaks down or decomposes. Instead, it fills up landfills, and it’s doing so at an alarming rate. In addition, by recycling glass, less natural materials like sand are required. (It might sound bizarre, but there are places in the world with sand shortages.)
2. We use rice-based, compostable packing peanuts
These days, one big issue is that the vast majority of packaging and packing materials are not biodegradable, which means these items are clogging up landfills. Packing peanuts are particularly problematic and are still widely used, as they are a low-cost option.
However, as more consumers move towards eco-friendly brands, companies are stepping up and implementing materials that are safer for the environment. At Kat’s Naturals, for instance, we only use rice-based biodegradable packing peanuts that consumers can compost.
For those who don’t compost yet, it’s essential to know that compost is rich in nutrients and is usually added to soil to help plants grow healthfully. It’s also easy to make at home, simply by combining the right ratios of appropriate food scraps and yard waste, which is also a large percentage of what people throw in the garbage.
By composting, consumers keep those items out of landfills and instead reuse them to make a rich, natural food for plants! It also lowers society’s carbon footprint.
3. Our cleaning products come from Grove Collaborative
Grove Collaborative is a reputable online company that delivers home, personal care, and beauty products from top natural brands. The brands that sell products through Grove must meet strict criteria to be part of the program.
For example, their products must be non-toxic, plant-based, sustainable, and cruelty-free. The companies must also have ethical supply chains and transparent ingredient lists. Grove Collaborative is a certified B Corp, as are many of the brands sold on the site.
4. We source supplies from sustainable vendors
At Kat’s Naturals, we prefer to source supplies and ingredients from vendors who care about the environment. We seek to work with companies that have supply chains that are just as sustainable as ours. While this isn’t always easy to find, research suggests that many businesses are engaging more in sustainable development.
The environment has become a significant talking point for decision-makers in various industries. In fact, a study suggests that since 2016, more companies have welcomed formal resource management goals and have created budgets that will achieve them. These are the types of eco-friendly and eco-conscious companies that we like to use to source materials.
Find a CBD company with good values
Overall, CBD’s impact on the environment is largely dependent on the values of the companies producing products. If consumers are committed to lowering their carbon footprint and helping sustain the environment, they must find a CBD company that shares their values.
By looking into a company’s farming practices, packaging materials, and ingredient lists, people can get a good idea of whether or not it’s a business they want to support.
