Monarch Wins Greenway Best of the Industry 2026 Award
Monarch Waste Co. is proud to announce that its Vape Pen Takeback Program has been awarded the Best Sustainable Initiative by Greenway’s Best of the Industry 2026. The recognition highlights how Monarch addresses a growing challenge in the cannabis industry: responsibly collecting and recycling disposable vape pens and the lithium-ion batteries they contain.
In this article, we’ll cover the awards, the program, and how dispensaries and consumers can get involved.
Greenway Best of the Industry 2026
Each year, Greenway Magazine asks readers to vote for the industry leaders, businesses, brands, and products they believe represent the Best of the Industry in Missouri cannabis. What began as a way to recognize standout operators has evolved alongside the market itself, reflecting the continued growth, maturation, and diversification of cannabis in the Show-Me State.
As Missouri’s adult-use and medical marijuana programs continue to develop, so have the categories. In 2026, they introduced another form of recognition. Industry Select Awards honor nominees in categories where a single individual or organization overwhelmingly dominated nominations or was recognized by both readers and panelists as deserving of recognition in a limited field.
Accepting the Award
“This recognition by Greenway’s Best of the Industry is incredibly meaningful to our team. We’re proud of the work that went into building the Vape Pen Takeback Program and grateful to the partners across Missouri who helped bring it to life,” said Zach McCullough and Annie Macheca, Co-Founders of Monarch Waste Co. “It’s been exciting to see the program grow, and we’re continuing to expand access to responsible vape recycling across Missouri.”
The Impact of Vape Pen Waste
Proper disposal of lithium-ion batteries is vital for both environmental and public safety.
Fire Risk: When tossed in household garbage or recycling bins, these batteries can spark fires during transport or at landfills and recyclers.
Environmental Harm: Discarding Li-ion batteries in landfills can lead to soil, water, and air contamination, particularly if they are cracked or damaged.
Lost Resources: Discarding them wastes valuable materials like cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel. Recycling recovers these resources and reduces the energy needed to make new batteries.
The Vape Pen Takeback Program
As all-in-one (AIO) disposable vapes have grown in popularity, so has the environmental challenge of properly disposing their lithium-ion batteries. Recognizing that disposable vape pens are difficult to recycle compliantly, Monarch Waste Co. developed its Vape Pen Takeback Program to address this issue.
Monarch installs collection kiosks at participating retailers, and then recycles the batteries with local R2-certified recyclers. This recovers more than 90% of the materials from every vape pen while keeping them out of landfills. Scheduling pickups, waste processing, and documentation are all handled by Monarch, allowing dispensaries to stay focused on daily operations while remaining fully compliant.
Since its launch in 2025, the program has grown significantly, from a regional pilot at 3Fifteen Primo to 26 dispensary locations statewide, with more on the way.
Contribute to a Better Future
To date, Monarch Waste Co. has recovered and processed over 162,600 lithium-ion batteries through its recycling operations. This number will steadily increase with your help.
Dispensaries can join the program and have their kiosk installed, and consumers can visit a location to drop off their vape pens. Together, we’ll reduce waste across Missouri’s cannabis industry and contribute to a clean, safe environment.