At N2 Packaging Systems, the goal is not just to preserve the product, but the planet as well. Sustainability is one of the company’s core philosophies, pushed from the beginning eight years ago by founder Scott Martin who believed the cannabis industry should help lead the way in sustainable solutions.
“If we’re going to make our money growing green things, we should find ways to be good with and by the planet,” says Thom Brodeur, CEO of N2 Packaging Systems in Twin Falls, Idaho.
N2’s 2Can packaging uses recycled metal to create the cans, and then packs them with nitrogen to ensure the product stays as fresh as possible on its way to the consumer. The company currently holds patents on the technology in 13 countries.
Brodeur says the nitrogen-packed, pull-tab cans give customers a “multi-sensory experience,” closer to the smell of the buds fresh off the plant, while eliminating the possibility of microbial growth that an oxygen-rich packaging could provide. He also cites a reduction in mass of the product as the air continues to dry it.
“What we do is we preserve the product and the integrity of its weight of its terpene profile of its fragrance of its value to the end consumer,” he says.
Brodeur admits that his system is more expensive than some others, but says there is a value proposition in sustainability. He says it’s also the direction he expects industry standards to go in the future, shifting toward recyclable packaging materials and away from single-use disposable plastics.
“So yes, it costs us more money to do the right thing. But doing the right thing, at any cost, is part of the underpinning of our culture as a company,” Brodeur says. “At the end of the day, if we all start to participate in this in a more meaningful way, the costs go down over time.
“We’ve seen it happen with every kind of technology, and product in the market.”
— Brian Beckley