Micron Waste Technologies Inc., Vancouver, Canada, presented details of the development of its on-site cannabis waste treatment system for licensed producers during testimony to Canada's Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (AGFO) March 27.
The Micron Waste solution is an aerobic digestion process that breaks down organic waste within 24 to 48 hours and treats the resulting effluent to meet municipal sewage bylaw standards. Micron's solution, which removes cannabis residues, could have applications in the Canadian and American cannabis waste disposal models, the company says.
The AGFO committee, which is studying the possible effects of cannabinoid residues on the environment, heard testimony from Micron's President Alfred Wong and Aurora Cannabis Inc. Chief Corporate Officer and Micron board member Cam Battley. In January, Micron and Vancouver-based Aurora finalized a collaboration agreement for the treatment of organic waste generated in the cultivation and production of cannabis products.
"Micron's solution is on track to be installed at Aurora's facility by June of this year," Wong testified. "This on-site process will minimize the cost of shipping cannabis waste to landfill or composting facilities and will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. Our clean agricultural technology will provide licensed producers with an environmentally sound, cost-effective solution for cannabis waste treatment and is anticipated to be able to meet the scale of Canada's growing cannabis industry."
The world's first on-site cannabis disposal unit will process cannabis waste, removing traceable active cannabinoid residues such as THC and CBD, and treat the resulting effluent to meet municipal sewage bylaw standards. The first operational unit will be installed at Aurora's 55,000-square-foot cultivating facility at Cremona, Alberta.
"As one of the world's leading cannabis companies, Aurora is demonstrating leadership in both environmental stewardship and cost management by collaborating with Micron to optimize Micron's innovative, proprietary digester technology for widespread use in the cannabis sector," Battley says. "Together, we're repurposing and refining green technology already used successfully for supermarket waste disposal to meet the growing needs of the cannabis industry."
In 2017, the amount of cannabis produced in Canada by licensed producers was estimated at 53 metric tons. According to Martin Landry of GMP Securities, Toronto, in 2020, cannabis supply is expected to increase to 1,221 metric tons. As cannabis waste increases exponentially, the benefits of sustainable, environmentally sound cannabis disposal systems will be magnified.