Wyld outlined the progress it made last year on a variety of environmental and social initiatives in its 2022 Impact Report.

The Oregon-based company, which produced and sold more than 19 million products across the U.S. and Canada last year, focuses its efforts around four core pillars of commitment: Combating the Failed War on Drugs, Environmental Sustainability, Health & Wellness, and Social & Racial Justice.

“The impacts and outcomes that our 2022 Impact Report highlights are part of what we call ‘forever work,’” said Rachael Smith, corporate communications specialist. “We’re fighting systemic problems here, and those can’t be solved in one day or one year. The work our many partners are doing is amazing, and we are so proud to support them and continue that.”

Wyld, Wyld CBD and Good Tide became Climate Neutral Certified, marking the first time cannabis brands have acquired the certification. Climate Neutral aims to help businesses achieve a net effect on the climate system by balancing residual greenhouse gas emissions with reductions or removals.

Last year, Wyld collaborated with South Pole to purchase more than 30,000 carbon offsets from projects such as wind power generation and access to clean water. Smith said nearly 95% of the company’s emissions fall in the Scope 3 category, which includes indirect emissions associated with purchased ingredients, packaging, business travel, waste generated in operations, product end-of-life, up/downstream transportation and distribution, and employee commuting. 

“We’re incredibly proud to be the first Climate Neutral Certified cannabis brand house,” Smith said. “Climate neutrality is just one step in our journey to become a more sustainable company. Our decision to work with Climate Neutral came from their stringent requirements – their greenhouse gas assessment includes Scope 3 emissions (often most of a company’s actual emissions), which sometimes aren’t accounted for by companies who make climate/carbon neutral claims.”

Wyld also worked with Climate Neutral to create a short- and long-term action plan for reducing emissions. In addition to collaborating with Climate Neutral, Wyld also purchases renewable energy certificates, and in 2022, switched its Oregon facilities to energy-efficient LED lights.

“We hope to model sustainable success within our industry,” Smith added. “By measuring and addressing our own impact on the world, we hope to pave a path for others to follow. We’re achieving this by helping divert landfill waste, attain climate neutrality, and even introducing compostable packaging. We are striving to be part of the solution.” 

Wyld advanced on its mission to convert all brands to compostable packaging by 2024. The company introduced fully compostable pouches in Canada in 2021, and it introduced its Good Tide brand with compostable and recyclable tubes last year. 

“Our journey toward compostable packaging hasn’t been easy,” Smith said. “There were no out-of-the-box solutions available that were food stable, child-resistant and home compostable. Our team has spent years researching, testing and working with vendors to create our fully compostable packaging options.”

Outside of environmental measures, Wyld expanded its slate of gender and ethnic demographic identifiers to allow employees to better express their identities. Additionally, the company began offering employees 16 hours of paid time off to volunteer at recognized non-profit or community organizations of their choice.

Furthermore, Wyld made donations and/or otherwise supported initiatives by the following organizations:

• BIPOCANN
• Expunge Colorado
• NuProject
• Columbia Slough Watershed Council
• Compost Colorado
• Friends of Trees
• Oregon Wild
• The Freshwater Trust
• Detroit Hives
• Viva Farms
• Equality Federation
• Juneteenth Oregon
• Urban League of Portland

This year, Wyld plans to combine its community relations and sustainability departments to form its Corporate Social Responsibility department, which will be guided by the company’s four pillars of commitment. Additionally, Wyld will begin transitioning consumable paper products to ones that meet or exceed the requirements of the EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. Wyld will also continue to perform energy audits on its operationally controlled facilities.

“We’re hopeful that we can continue to improve our capability to act in accordance with our values, building community around our authentic desire to see cannabis culture evolve toward greater health and wellness for people and the planet,” Smith said.