Weed & Sustainability

Growers who work for a stronger natural world

March means green. This month we are looking ahead to the return of fresh grass and lush spring forests on the horizon, and the growers helping keep our country green. Cannabis cultivation continues to evolve, and many producers are finding creative ways to reduce their environmental impact while still delivering high-quality products.

Let’s take a look at the special practices they use to save energy, conserve water, and reduce pesticide use, creating a more sustainable cannabis industry that is mindful of the future.

Check out what Pure Sunfarms, Wyld, Broken Coast, Coterie, and Simply Bare are doing to give back to Planet Earth.

Pure Sunfarms

Pure Sunfarms live up to their name. In the beautiful Fraser Valley in British Columbia, they use the powerful sunshine of the spring and summer seasons to naturally warm and light their modern greenhouse. For about 40 percent of the year, this allows them to dramatically reduce their energy use by harnessing solar power. Their greenhouse design helps maximize natural light, which reduces the need for artificial lighting during brighter months.

To make things even more efficient, they use innovative energy screens that capture the sun’s heat and prevent heat loss year-round. Their indoor grow can produce significantly more cannabis than outdoor farming while using far less land. This approach allows them to grow efficiently while making better use of available space.

At Pure Sunfarms, they make sure every drop of water counts. To reduce water use, they collect rainwater, filter it, and reuse it wherever possible, including watering their plants. This water is then recaptured and recycled after it moves through the plants. From September to June, Pure Sunfarms relies primarily on rainwater for most of its greenhouse operations. With these systems in place, they are using about 86 percent less water than outdoor farming.

From dusk to dawn, Pure Sunfarms uses blackout curtains to reduce light pollution. Artificial light can disrupt natural ecosystems, including the patterns of animals and insects that respond to the cycles of the sun and moon. These curtains help limit excess light escaping from the greenhouse and help maintain a darker night sky in the surrounding area.

Wyld

Sustainability is one of Wyld’s core values. The company focuses on supporting conservation efforts, adopting renewable energy, reducing waste, and participating in climate initiatives. Their approach combines environmental programs with changes to their packaging and production processes.

Wyld introduced fully compostable edible packaging for their gummies in Canada. Their newer multi-packs use fully recyclable boxes, while the inner pouches are also compostable. Small packaging changes like these can significantly reduce waste over time, especially for products that are purchased regularly.

As of January 2026, Wyld has planted more than 100,000 trees through partnerships with non-profit organizations and volunteer efforts. Through their partnership with the Ocean Blue Project, they have also helped remove more than 350,000 pounds of ocean-bound trash from beaches and waterways since 2022. In addition, the company has purchased over 10,000 carbon offsets from projects focused on both preventing and removing greenhouse gas emissions.

Wyld has also joined The Conservation Alliance as a Pinnacle Member. This organization brings together businesses and outdoor communities to help protect North America’s wild places by funding and advocating for conservation efforts. These partnerships allow companies like Wyld to support environmental protection beyond their own operations.

Broken Coast

At Broken Coast’s Nanaimo cultivation facility, sustainability is built directly into their operations. The company has invested more than $1 million in advanced heat-recovery technology that captures excess heat from active grow rooms and redistributes it to support other areas of the facility. This approach improves efficiency while also reducing overall environmental impact.

Over the past two years, they have continued to refine this system and have reached an important milestone. The facility has completely eliminated the use of natural gas for grow room environmental control. As a result, Broken Coast has been able to retire eight traditional boilers from regular operation, significantly reducing emissions at the site.

Broken Coast is also converting its cultivation rooms to high-efficiency LED lighting, putting it on track for a 40 percent reduction in lighting-related electricity consumption. LEDs produce less ambient heat, which reduces the demand on HVAC systems. Combined with their heat recovery system, they are targeting a 35 percent reduction in overall HVAC load.

These initiatives reflect Broken Coast’s ongoing commitment to responsible cultivation and long-term environmental stewardship for the future of British Columbia.

Coterie

Sustainability has been part of Coterie’s approach since the beginning, from cultivation practices to environmental partnerships. In collaboration with OneTreePlanted, the company has planted more than 1,000 trees in Canada to help restore forests and support biodiversity. Programs like this help rebuild ecosystems while encouraging greater awareness about environmental protection.

For several years, Coterie has also partnered with Humidico to produce home-compostable packaging made from a biopolymer material that breaks down without leaving microplastics behind. This shift may seem small, but it can make a significant difference in reducing long-term environmental waste.

Coterie has also introduced its Biodegradable 97 Plus Liquid Diamonds all-in-one vape lineup. As disposable vape devices grow in popularity, so does concern about single-use electronics ending up in landfills. Coterie’s devices include a biodegradable PLA body made from corn-based materials and a removable battery that can be safely recycled at local e-waste facilities.

In their indoor grow facilities, they use top drip irrigation to deliver water directly to plant roots, reducing runoff and improving efficiency. They also grow in coco coir rather than traditional soil, which helps manage moisture levels and reduce resource use. Their indoor grows rely on LED lighting to reduce electricity consumption, while outdoor grows use living-soil practices that support long-term ecosystem health.

Simply Bare

At Simply Bare’s greenhouse, Pacifica, in sunny Delta, British Columbia, the team combines abundant natural sunlight with efficient full-spectrum LED lighting in their growing areas. The greenhouse has also been upgraded to draw electricity from the grid, eliminating the use of natural-gas generators and reducing emissions.

In 2024, they upgraded their drip irrigation tubes and introduced nanobubblers to deliver water more consistently to plants. These improvements help prevent excess water use and reduce the chance of leaks. As a result, water consumption at the Pacifica facility has decreased by about 26.5 percent.

At their Cascadia facility, they use a combination of LED and HPS lighting and are exploring water recirculation systems to further reduce water use. Both facilities receive electricity from BC Hydro, which sources more than 95 percent of its power from clean or renewable sources.

Simply Bare also grows using living soil at Pacifica. This soil contains communities of microorganisms that break down organic material and naturally provide nutrients to plants. Their proprietary soil mix uses locally sourced ingredients from British Columbia, including glacial rock dust, Douglas Fir bark, kelp, and fish compost.

Simply Bare is transparent about its environmental impact and is now in its sixth year of reporting on its Environmental, Social, and Governance initiatives. Tracking ESG metrics helps the company understand how efficiently resources are used and where improvements can be made.

Green is Going Green

Many growers are investing in climate-conscious practices, and consumers are becoming more aware of how products are produced. Many cannabis companies are actively working to reduce their environmental footprint while continuing to improve cultivation and packaging methods.