Cannabis News

No need to remove fully compostable sachets during crop rotation

Published

2 weeks ago

July 5, 2026

admin

Biobest has developed a new home grow bag for predatory mites designed to reduce greenhouse labor requirements while addressing the growing challenge of single-use plastic waste in crop protection systems.

According to Ines De Craecker, Director of Product Management at Biobest, the project arose out of discussions with growers, rather than regulatory pressure.

“People might think it started from a regulatory perspective, but we started from a conversation,” he shares. “The growers were really conflicted. The labor is expensive, and they had to choose between removing the bags from the harvest or leaving behind non-recyclable waste.”

Mite predator bags are widely used in IPM programs and have become a standard biological control tool in greenhouse production. Most bags on the market today are made of single-use plastic.

“At the end of the season, growers have to decide whether to remove all the growth bags from the crop by hand, which is labor-intensive, or leave them in place. It becomes a choice between yield and sustainability.”

Maintaining performance while improving sustainability
Biobest estimates that more than 350 million grow bags are used each year, generating more than 1,400 tons of non-recyclable waste. In addition, more than 20 hours of skilled labor per hectare may be required to remove the sachets.

“For large growers working several hectares, this can mean extra work at the end of the week to remove the bags at the end of the season,” says Ines.

Developing a sustainable alternative presented significant technical challenges. The company aimed to create a fully compostable portfolio without compromising biological performance.

“It sounds simple, but it’s really complicated to develop a grow bag in sustainable materials without compromising the product’s performance. You still want to deliver the quality and performance that customers expect.”

The development process involved collaboration between Biobest’s R&D, packaging and production teams, as well as external material suppliers and commercial teams. Field validation was also essential to confirm that mite performance and pest control effectiveness remained unchanged.

“If you compare it to a regular single-use grow bag, it looks exactly the same. The mite performance and the actual control in the crop is unchanged.”

Home compostability at room temperature
A key feature of the new bag is its ability to biodegrade under home composting conditions. Ines says that in order to obtain a certificate of home compostability, the materials must fully biodegrade within 180 days, at an ambient temperature of 20°C to 30°C, under specified humidity conditions.

“Our bag has been designed with the minimum amount of polymer that can be composted at home, and it is mainly made of paper-based fibers. These fibers not only support biodegradation, but also improve the quality of the compost, helping to regulate the moisture level, making the bag well suited for both home composting and local composting.”

This is a significant advantage over industrial compostable materials, which require specialized composting facilities operating at temperatures between 70°C and 80°C.

“One of the challenges with industrially compostable solutions is that many growers do not have access to industrial composting facilities. This means that waste cannot be composted as intended or must be transported off-site for processing,” he added.

In practice, many industrial compostable materials are not even accepted by commercial composters. They are usually screened early in the process because they break down more slowly than the composting cycle, are too coarse or stiff to be shredded effectively, or are considered a visual pollutant in the final compost.

According to Ines, they have designed their bag to overcome these challenges. Its paper fiber construction makes it easy to shred, helping to reduce moisture levels during composting. The ultra-thin layer of home compostable polymer breaks down even faster under industrial composting conditions, eliminating concerns about inconsistent composting deadlines.

“We wanted to develop a bag that doesn’t put any restrictions on a grower’s waste stream. It can stay with the crop waste and follow its existing end-of-life path, whether it’s a backyard compost pile, a farm composting system, or industrial composting.”

At the end of the crop cycle, the bags can be removed along with the plant material and composted, eliminating the need for separate collection, sorting and disposal.

A gradual rollout is planned
The compostable home portfolio is now a concept and was nominated for the GreenTech Concept Award. According to Ines, the technology is suitable for all predatory mites that are currently supplied in grow bags.

“In the future it is our intention to change all our products to a home compostable format.” Biobest plans to initially introduce the pouches to select European markets, before gradually expanding production and availability globally.

For more information:

Biobest Group NV

Telephone: +32 14 25 79 80

Related Topics:compostable crop fully remove rotation sachets

Up Next

Virginia Hemp Farmers And Businesses Worry About Changes Included In Newly Passed Marijuana Market Legislation

Don't Miss

North Carolina Senate Passes Bill To Restrict Hemp THC And Kratom Products

Cannabis News

Will the top World Cup expert in the fruit, vegetable, and horticulture sector come from Canada, the U.S. or Belgium?

Published

15 hours ago

July 20, 2026

admin

FreshPublishers 2026 World Cup Group Stage

The World Cup is coming to an end, with the third-place play-off between France and England on Saturday, and the final between Spain and Argentina the following day. It won’t be long until the grand winner of FreshPublishers’ first World Cup pool is revealed.

As previously reported, Slim Kooli from Courchesne Laros is the favorite to win the €1,000 prize. He has secured a comfortable lead over Nol Batist of North American Interstate Greenhouse Company, while buyer Bjorn Van Ryckeghem of Deprez Construct is currently in third place.

1	Sim School	Spain	1–0	2–1	737	9716
2	Nol Batist	France	2–1	1–1	674	9433
3	Bjorn Van Ryckeghem	France	2–2	3–1	674	9264
4	Christian Anton Smedshaug	England	1–2	1–2	659	9134
5	Perry Springintveld	Spain	1–1	2–1	647	9105
6	Willem Tijssen	Spain	2–0	2–1	710	9098
7	Hans Borsboom	Spain	2–1	2–1	528	9058
8	Bart Triemstra	Spain	2–1	2–1	737	9052
9	Youness Bensaid	Spain	2–1	1–1	722	8954
10	Vijay Dijkstra	Portugal	2–0	2–1	382	8953

However, there have been some surprises during the tournament, and bonus points must be added, so we will keep the suspense a little longer. On Monday we will find out who is the main World Cup announcer in the international fruit, vegetable and horticulture sector…

Cannabis News

States Move To Let First Responders Use Marijuana And Psychedelics To Treat PTSD

Published

15 hours ago

July 20, 2026

admin

“When you’re in the fire service, or in any of the first response industries, or especially in the military, things are going to accumulate over time, and what happens is you see a lot of things, crazy things that at least seem normal.”

By Amanda Watford, Stateline

This year more states have looked beyond traditional counseling and medication to help first responders deal with traumatic stress.

Firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel routinely experience fatal accidents, violent crimes, and other traumatic events that can leave lasting psychological scars.

“When you’re in the fire service, or the first response industry, or especially the military, things just pile up over time, and what happens is you see a lot of things, crazy things that at least seem normal,” said Jason Cerrano, a retired firefighter and paramedic with more than 20 years of experience in Missouri. Cerrano is now director of research and commercial development at IDEX Fire & Safety.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law last month a measure that will create the Post-Traumatic Injuries Commission to review requests from first responders to help cover treatment costs.

Maryland took a different approach this year, enacting a law protecting firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and other rescue workers. employment discrimination for the illegal use of medical marijuana outside of work.

The new law, which will take effect in October, applies to medical cannabis patients who test positive for cannabis metabolites but are impaired while working.

Several other states are exploring emerging therapies.

A new Connecticut law expands a pilot program at Yale University studying psilocybin-assisted therapy Allowing any state resident 18 years of age or older to participate, provided they meet clinical eligibility criteria established by the Yale University Institutional Review Board. Previously, the pilot program was limited to veterans, retired first responders and frontline healthcare workers.

Missouri lawmakers advanced a bill allowing veterans and first responders to receive the psychedelics psilocybin and ibogaine in approved research studies. Under medical supervision for PTSD and other mental health conditions. The legislative session adjourned in May before lawmakers sent a bill to the governor.

This story was first published by Stateline.

Image courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Cannabis News

Standard Wellness expands into Cleveland with dispensary acquisition

Published

2 days ago

July 19, 2026

admin

Standard Wellness has entered into an agreement with License in the Flats, LLC to enter into definitive agreements to acquire a dispensary license in the Flats following the required regulatory review period. At the end of that period, the company and License in the Flats intend to execute those agreements and then continue to develop the dispensary into a retail location branded The Forest Cleveland.

Following regulatory approval of the change of ownership by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, the new dispensary will become the Company’s first retail location in the city of Cleveland, where the Company is headquartered.

Additionally, the Company announced the divestiture of The Forest Sandusky and The Forest Springfield, its Ohio dispensaries, to Greenlight, again subject to pending regulatory approvals.

“We are excited to expand our presence in the city of Cleveland and serve guests in our hometown,” said Kate Ols, Vice President of Retail for Standard Wellness. “As our business continues to grow, we are focused on building a retail network that will best position us to serve our communities for the long term. At the same time, we are proud of the role our Sandusky and Springfield dispensaries have played in Ohio’s cannabis history, and we are confident that those communities will continue to grow under Greenlight’s leadership.”

Standard Wellness and Greenlight are working closely together to support a smooth transition for staff and guests throughout the transfer process. As established operators in Ohio and Missouri, the companies share a commitment to strengthening the regulated cannabis industry and serving the communities in which they operate.

The new dispensary is expected to serve both local residents and visitors while completing the Company’s Northeast Ohio footprint.

Under Ohio law, a cannabis operator cannot hold more than eight dispensary licenses statewide. The acquisition of the Cleveland license and divestiture of The Forest Sandusky and The Forest Springfield allows Standard Wellness to continue to meet Ohio’s property limits while strategically repositioning its Ohio retail footprint and focusing investments in key markets.

Forest Sandusky and Forest Springfield have played significant roles in the evolution of Ohio’s cannabis industry. Sandusky was the site of the state’s first legal cannabis sale in January 2019, and Springfield became the first part of Ohio’s cannabis industry merger and acquisition transaction when Standard Wellness purchased Pure Ohio Wellness’ dispensary.

For more information:
Standard Wellness Holdings
standardwellness.com/