At Grodan, we are proud to celebrate Earth Day every day. Our commitment to sustainability and recycling is engrained in everything we do, from our innovative stone wool products to our evolving eco-friendly practices. We believe in creating a greener future for generations to come, which is why we continually strive to reduce our environmental impact and promote a circular economy.  
  
Recycling for specialized products always presents a challenge to the consumer as the majority of recycling infrastructures throughout North America are designed for traditional recycled products like PET plastic bottles, paper, and aluminum. This presents a challenge for stone wool growing media and the commercial greenhouse sector. Some of the specific challenges include: logistics, plastic contamination, franchise limitations, cannabis waste regulations, and pricing.  
 
In order to address these challenges and bring recycling opportunities to the market, Grodan has collaborated with local recycling operators in some of its key markets. Learn more about these new developments below:

Adelanto:  

Grodan and local growers in the Adelanto region collaborated on a pilot with Cannabis Waste Solutions and American Organics in the spring of 2023 to have the used Grodan stone wool media recycled. Cannabis Waste Solutions dropped off separate 30-yard containers specifically for the stone wool. One of the pilot participants is cannabis cultivator 818 Brands, which operates a facility in Adelanto. Once 818 began its harvest, operators removed the plastic wrapping along with potential contaminants and placed the used media in the container until it became full. From there, 818 coordinated the pickup & removal with Cannabis Waste Solutions, which delivered the full container to the American Organics compost site. There, it was recycled into compost from traditional organic waste streams. American Organics deemed the pilot a success, and cultivators in the region now have the option to recycle their stone wool.  

Michigan:

Cultivators throughout central Michigan now have the option to recycle their used stone wool come harvest. Greener Organics operates a compost facility in Coldwater, Michigan. Local growers have the option to contract Greener Organics to have the product picked up from their site and recycled along with traditional compost streams. Participants must de-sleeve their plastics from their media.

Quebec Province:

EnGlobe Corp. is the operator of the largest compost facility in the province of Quebec and is one of the largest organic waste processors in all of Canada. EnGlobe ran pilots in 2023 processing the stone wool media in its compost operations. The EnGlobe operators determined the media was a value-added product to their compost streams that was blended right in with its feedstock. As such, EnGlobe has greenlit the stone wool media acceptance at all three of its facilities in the province (Montreal, Quebec City, & Sherbrooke). Growers who want to participate must de-sleeve the plastic and coordinate the delivery of the materials with EnGlobe.   

Salinas Valley: 

Grodan has been working with the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority to have stone wool growing media recycled alongside traditional green waste. As such, the local franchise Atlas Organics is able to accept the used stone wool post-harvest and recycle the material along with alternative green waste streams. Local growers have the option of placing their used stone wool media in their organics green bin. All contamination and plastic should be removed before placing in the proper bin. This is a competitive option for the local market, as participants do not need to contract a separate hauling operator, they have the ability to use their present green waste hauler.

If you would like to participate in these recycling options or if you would like to explore recycling opportunities in your region, contact your local account manager or email recycling@grodan.com.

Note: All services are operated independently by each recycler. Grodan does not guarantee pricing nor service quality. 

For more information on recycling opportunities across North America, please visit Grodan’s recycling web portal.