// Sustainability
At Torrey Holistics, we are constantly working to preserve and protect the environment. That’s why we have made sustainability a priority, both within our business practices and our community. In order to avoid falling prey to greenwashing, we promise to be as transparent as possible in our efforts, and we hope that our valued customers will hold us accountable.
Here are some of the things that Torrey Holistics has done to show our commitment to sustainability:
- Monthly neighborhood cleanups
- Beach cleanups/Coastal Cleanup Day
- Green Team
- SD Green Business Network
- Waste audit week
- Recycling program
- Supporting local non-profits (Hearts for SD/$1 for the Ocean)
- Coming soon – reusable exit bags!
Eco-Conscious Cannabis Brands
There are many challenges that cannabis companies face when it comes to sustainability, which is why we love and value brands that go the extra mile to adopt environmentally-friendly solutions in this burgeoning industry. We hope that you will share our appreciation and support these forward-thinking brands.
Since 2015, Flow Kana has been working to support not only the legacy farmers of Northern California, but the communities we inhabit and the cultivation practices that feed the earth.
They have honored those commitments through the development and implementation of a Corporate Social Responsibility program, centered around the following values:
Commitment to sustainable business and living practices
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the planet. Flow Kana commits to business practices that result in a minimal environmental impact and to consistently audit ourselves to maintain this commitment. Flow Kana also encourages sustainable practices among our employees and works to support this effort at an organizational level.
Commitment to regenerative agriculture and local food systems
Industrialized agriculture has caused harm to the planet and has moved communities away from local food production. Flow Kana commits to supporting the regenerative agriculture movement and to facilitate the use of local food systems as a way to lift up family owned sustainable farms.
Commitment to hyper-local giving and the support of vital community services
Many of Flow Kana’s operations exist in rural areas that are vulnerable to the loss of vital community services due to lack of funding, geographic and technological barriers and extreme weather threats. Flow Kana is committed to supporting vital community services in the areas where we are active, focusing on rural areas.
We work with a cacao supplier who is over 100 years old and known for their commitment to responsible, sustainable sourcing throughout their supply chain, as well as their uncompromising standards. Illegal practices such as child labor and unsafe working conditions are 100% not tolerated.
The new child-resistant Kiva Bar carton is 100% biodegradable, using a biodegradable film to make the box tear-resistant, instead of the non-recyclable/non-biodegradable laminations that most cannabis companies typically use.
The new child-resistant Terra and Camino tins are all metal and fully recyclable, a huge improvement to our previous tins, which used non-recyclable plastic inserts.
Why has Kiva taken the effort and expense to create a more sustainable footprint? Because we care about the plant, the planet and all of its people. And we believe that it’s up to each of us to make changes both big and small in order to create a viable future for us all.
We also aim to always use sustainably-sourced ingredients – for example:
💚 Our agave is sourced from 5th generation growers, and vertically integrated within one town in Mexico
💚 Agave uses 42 times less water than can sugar
💚 Our agave vendors let 5% of their agave plants bloom so pollinators can have access to flowers, are restoring historic buildings in Jiquilpan, Michoacan, and will be 50% solar-powered by 2025
💚 Our cranberry juice is sourced from a 9th generation, family-owned bog in Massachusetts, which is leading initiatives to preserve local wetlands, endangered species, and preserve groundwater
💚 Our fruits are also grown with minimal pesticides
Canndescent was the first cannabis brand in California to initiate a commercial-scale indoor production facility powered with renewable solar energy. Their 282.6 kilowatt system uses 734 solar modules on seven different carport structures to energize operations such as irrigation, security, artificial lighting, air conditioning, ventilation, and dehumidification. Canndescent’s solar project reduces annual atmospheric carbon emissions by 365 metric tons (per NREL and EPA estimates) and currently produces enough power to charge an estimated 20% of US smartphones for a day.
The cannabis industry has a plastic problem, and we are actively trying to fix it. We have woven sustainability into our core from the beginning, but at the start of 2020 we realized that we needed to take more immediate action. We vowed to try to be plastic free by the end of the year and started taking more steps to be as sustainable as we could, tracking our steps from sourcing to distributing. We believe environmental justice is social justice.
Here’s an update on our progress:
♻️ We’ve redesigned all of our packaging to be smaller and create less waste.
♻️ Our newest boxes are made from 100% post consumer recycled materials and are FSC certified.
♻️ We’ve re-evaluated our operations and production to cut down on our carbon footprint as much as we can. Waste minimization is an essential aspect of our processing method.
♻️ We’ve always (and will continue) to only source sun-grown cannabis because the sun is a sustainable energy source and has a much lower carbon footprint.
♻️ We have grown our list of Sun & Earth certified farms, organic farms, and regenerative farms. Yay Mother Earth!
♻️We recently became a member of OSC2 (One Step Closer/Organic Sustainable Community) – which is working toward a regenerative global economy and are committed to working with Sun & Earth certified farms.