“Once the US government makes cannabis fully legal, it is expected for the regulations to become of a pharmaceutical standard. Low-quality containers or glass jars will not meet those standards,” says Chris Glowacki, Sales Manager at CurTec. The company has been manufacturing plastic drums, pails and jars for over 30 years, mainly serving the pharmaceutical, specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry. “People are putting high-value products into our containers. We provide them with clean, safe and certified containers that protect their contents.”
Chris Glowacki
The need for high-quality packaging
Glowacki explains that there are some issues when it comes to the packaging that has been used traditionally in the cannabis industry. “We have seen many companies using low-quality containers with a polybag inside to use for curing. The first problem with that is that the container is not airtight. As a result, the oxygen transfer will lead to the flowers not getting a good cure. Moreover, you can actually damage the flowers themselves if you have to lift the product out and they get tossed around. Glass jars, however, are not a good option either. First of all, the material is heavy. More importantly, the glass allows light in which radically reduces the potency and color of the flower.”
CurTec’s UV Safe Drums are designed with these issues in mind. “Our drums provide light protection, to keep the quality of the product inside as safe as possible. By eliminating any air gaps, you are getting a much better cure as well. This results in all the terpenes, for example, to come more to the outer end of the flower, improving the aroma and taste. Moreover, the resins used are of the utmost purity, so there is no transfer of smell between the container and the flowers. The containers also have rolling ribs so that they are easily rotated. That way the flowers don’t settle and they aren’t getting damaged. The tamper evident feature allows companies to easily manage their inventory control, and make sure nothing gets lost.”
With sustainability being an important challenge in the cannabis industry, CurTec’s containers have been designed for reuse and are completely recyclable. “Over the years creating high performance packaging with the lowest possible use of natural resources and energy consumption has become our standard. Today we consider it our environmental responsibility to ensure that the processes CurTec is involved in are harmless to our planet. By 2030, we aim to achieve a net zero value chain and play a key role in the operational and sustainability goals of our partners.”
CurTec's UV Safe Drums
Upcoming regulations
Glowacki explains that the future legalizations in the United States will increase the need for high quality packaging. “Once the US becomes fully legal, we believe the regulations will become similar to the pharmaceutical standards. In that case, shipping your product in glass jars is not something you can get away with. It’s time to start looking at where your container is manufactured, what resins are used, and ensure that the overall quality is high. It is a major benefit for us that we already have all the documentation and manufacture in a GMP approved facility.”
Even before the full legalization, CurTec is already noticing a growing demand for their products among cannabis companies. “In the last half year especially, there has been a real interest among companies to improve their flowers. Consumers are becoming more and more of a connoisseur when it comes to cannabis, and taste and smell are more important than ever. You just can’t preserve those characteristics properly when using inferior containers. More people are starting to realize the importance of packaging and the effect it has on the product’s end result.”
For more information
CurTec
www.curtec.com