Look Good While Doing Good: Customizations for Your Sustainable Cannabis Packaging

Once upon a time, eco-friendly packaging would stick out like a sore thumb. With minimal customization and branding, these products often lacked color, individuality, and personality, deterring many customers from making a purchase. Today, the story is very different. Sustainable packaging can be beautiful, high-quality, and sophisticated while still doing right by our planet.

When you work with Tree Hugger Containers on your planet-first packaging, we walk you through our customization options, allowing you to strategically brand your cannabis jar so that unlike its predecessors, it screams ‘buy me!’ to your customers. Below, we dive into the process and purpose behind our customization options to make it easy for you to choose what’s right for your brand.

Powder coating

What it is:

Powder coating is a process of coloring an object with a durable layer of polymer resin to create a seamless, painted look. With powder coating, the powder is sprayed onto the jars, which then pass through a high temperature oven that “bakes” the powder onto the surface. Unlike traditional painting processes, powder coated packaging doesn’t chip, streak, or wear off easily. It’s highly durable.

Why we love powder coated cannabis packaging:

For cannabis flower in particular, powder coating your jar gives you excellent protection from UVB rays that will degrade THC potency over time.  We offer stock powder coating colors of black, white and frost. With custom powder coating, you can choose from any Pantone color, allowing you to achieve the exact shade you use in your other branded materials. When customers scan the shelves looking for your brand, a uniquely colored jar will stand out from the rest. 

Pad printing & Screen printing

Pad printing - What it is: 

Pad printing  is the highest quality resolution print you can get and prints 110 degrees around the jar at a time in a “stamp” motion.  In this process, custom printing pads are made with your jar and/or lid design. The pad is coated in ink and then stamped on your jars to add your artwork and any information desired or required. We are able to match any Pantone color for printing free of charge.

Screen printing - What it is: 

Screen printing can print 350 degrees around the jar, so it’s great for artwork that wraps continuously around the entire body of the jar. When moving through the screen printer, the jar will spin as the screen moves from side to side, allowing the artwork to print seamlessly in one pass. It is very high quality as well, but not quite as high of resolution as a pad print.

Why use pad and/or screen printing:

Whether pad printing or screen printing is used will be determined by your artwork/design. Both pad printing and screen printing offsets the need for a paper/fiber-based label. With all of your content directly on the lid and/or jar, customers who choose to reuse the package won’t notice the wear and tear common with labels and stickers that break down over time. Printing directly on the jar offers a clean and polished look that sets your brand apart from others.

DIGITAL PRINTING

What it is:

Digital printing uses a computer-based image to print your design directly onto your planet-first packaging, just like your home computer would print an image on paper. The digital printer uses inkjet print heads that work just like a home or office printer. We provide custom digital printing and can print  355 degrees around the jars, giving a nearly seamless look. 

When you digital printing should be used: 

If you have an intricate pattern or complex set of colors on your artwork, digital printing may be the best option. While digital printing resolution is a bit lower than what you get with pad printing, digital printing has a wider range of capability for printing complicated, detailed designs. With pad printing, your price increases with the number of colors you use. Digital printing’s process allows us to charge by volume regardless of how many colors are in your eco-friendly packaging design.

Label Printing 

What it is:

Label printing is the traditional approach of digitally printing your customization on paper or a sticker and applying it to the jar and/or lid. We work with a label vendor to provide high-quality label printing and the option to print on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper to reduce the environmental impact of your packaging. 

When label printing is your best option: 

Using a printed label is a good way to cut down on lead times if you need your packaging in a hurry. It also is less costly than printing directly on the jars. Labels also can make it easier when you have multiple SKU’s you are needing for your packaging.

There are many different ways to design your sustainable packaging in order to protect your budget, your brand, and your product, while also inspiring your customers. When you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to walk you through elevating your brand with eco-friendly packaging.