Can We Reduce Our Use Of Plastic And Return To Hemp As An Alternative?

 

There is an enormous island of plastic waste floating in the Pacific, known as the Great Pacific Garbage patch, which contains 1.8 million pieces of plastic, weighs 80,000 tonnes and is twice the size of France. Just think about that for a second, this plastic island is TWICE THE SIZE OF FRANCE!

We have all become aware of the harmful effects of global warming but we also need to consider the huge damage that plastic is doing not only to our climate but also to our environment. 

Research scientists agree that our dependency on fossil fuels has to be replaced, so what does fossil fuel have to do with plastic? What often gets overlooked is the fact that conventional plastic is made from fossil fuels and is a product of the oil and gas industry, the biproducts of refining oil. 

According to an article published by the National Geographic in December 2018 only 9% of recyclable plastic has actually been recycled. If you are like me, you have taken time to recycle in the belief that I am doing my bit for the environment, unfortunately this is not the case as most of it still finds its way into landfills and worse the sea. We need to stop this damaging problem and find alternative solution, one which we believe could be hemp.

Hemp is known to be one of the earliest plants cultivated by man and the first use of it was found in ancient China at around 8000 BC. The plant was grown for its fibres and was used to create ropes, textiles and paper. During the Middle Ages cultivation and the use of hemp was wide spread across Europe. In 1606 hemp was introduced to North America, it was used for many different products and was even grown on George Washington's estate. In 1943 Henry Ford produced hemp plastic panels for the original Model T Ford and the panels were considered to be 10x stronger than steel. In fact hemp is now appearing in a diversity of commonplace objects including cars and clothing, even the US brand Levis have begun the manufacture of jeans made from 30% hemp and 70% cotton. So can we reduce our use of plastic and return to hemp as an alternative?

How hemp can be an alternative to plastic

Natural plastics can be derived from the cellulose fibres found in plants such as hemp, which has 65-70% cellulous and thus makes it a viable plant for plastic production. These bioplastic products, mean you can safely throw your empty bottle of coke away, knowing it will biodegrade and not end up adding to a plastic island for the next several hundred years.  

Hemp plastic is non toxic, natural, strong, biodegradable and has extremely diverse uses, which can be anything from health food products, body care, clothing, construction materials, bio fuels and many more.

Why is hemp considered sustainable?

Hemp is extremely resilient and naturally resistant to pests, fungi and diseases preventing the need for harmful pesticides which cause environmental problems like water contamination. Hemp breathes in CO2 from the atmosphere making it nature's purifier and it requires very little water to grow.  It can absorb harmful toxins and after harvesting the remnants of the plant, which are rich in nutrients, can be returned to the soil benefiting next years crop.  

Companies already using hemp in their products

The future might appear bleak but it is not all bad news, there are many companies out there jumping on the greener bandwagon to help sustain the world in which we live.

• Biofuel - United Hempbiofuel
• Car and aircraft manufacturing - Porsche "Cayman 718"
• Clothing - Hemp Horizon
• Buildings - Tiny Hemp Houses
• Packaging - Canna Paper
• Paper manufacturing - Green Field Paper Company
• Dog toys - Beco Pets

Conclusion

Unfortunately hemp products for the most part remains expensive to produce and the infrastructure needed to grow and process hemp into plastic is sadly lacking. However as more people become aware of hemp and its many benefits, the more widely it will be used and positively recognised, making bioplastic a reality.

Surely it is time for eco-friendly hemp plastic to become the viable option.

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