Hemp, the ecological plant par excellence
Hemp is a natural and fully biodegradable natural fiber. It is the ultimate ecological plant in its culture as in its transformation. Just like linen, its transformation is mechanical. It grows without fertilizers or pesticides and the plant is naturally very resistant to parasites and weed. Thus, hemp leaves the soil in great condition for subsequent crops. Not only does hemp cultivation preserve the soil, it also helps maintain it: hemp matures quickly, in approximately 100 days, allowing to reuse the field easily. In addition, its roots and its ability to absorb water drain the soil to regenerate it and prevent weed from spreading. The fact that growing hemp under different temperature conditions is so easy favors local distribution channels.
It uses half as much rain water as cotton for the same cultivated area, yet it is up to 8 times stronger. Hemp protects sensitive skin thanks to its hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties. It’s an excellent natural heat regulator and a thermal insulator: it gives warmth and comfort in winter, and freshness and lightness in summer, while protecting effectively against the sun thanks to its tight weaving. Finally, hemp fabric has the particularity of aging well, it is one of the rare fabrics to beautify over time, becoming softer, flexible and comfortable.
Hemp seeds exhibit many health benefits. They are rich in minerals (iron, magnesium, zinc), B vitamins and contain an excellent omega 3 and omega 6 content. They help lowering cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular diseases, strengthening the immune system and preserving the cell membranes of the nervous system. Therefore, the hemp industry has enormous potential for development in the health and food industries.
The benefits of hemp are even wider and its applications are multiple. It is not only for its benefits on our health or its low ecological footprint in the textile industry that it is known to be the ecological plant par excellence.
As it grows, hemp absorbs and stores CO2, trapping carbon from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. Forests also absorb a lot of CO2, but unfortunately they are losing ground every year due to massive deforestation. As a result, hemp seems to be a good alternative to strive against global warming. The use of hemp, to make plastic and other materials that last a long time, prevents this carbon from re-entering the atmosphere in the form of CO2.
Moreover, we have seen emerging innovations in the field of hemp plastic manufacturing technology in recent years. Hemp plastic is a long-standing fabric yet its use is recent and it could be the future of many materials that would replace current petrochemical plastics. Its manufacturing has a much smaller ecological footprint than the plastic we know and we are seeing more and more companies, particularly in the automotive industry, integrating hemp-based plastic into their products.
Many hemp applications can sustainably replace existing products emanating from polluting industries such as textiles or automobiles.
Let the hemp revolution begin!
