In modern times, people are choosing more environmental resources. They are moving away from harmful products that get into the atmosphere, pollute the air, and harm wildlife. They are looking for materials that are kinder to the environment.
Hemp is a popular sustainable choice. Grown naturally in the earth, it can make just about anything. Clothes, textiles, food, and even period care products can all be made from hemp.
You may wonder, what makes hemp an environmental material? It provides several benefits that make it a Mother Earth-approved choice. This article will review why it’s a sustainable option.
Carbon Farming
Carbon dioxide is a pollutant that can get into the air. It produces adverse effects on the atmosphere and wildlife. Carbon farming, AKA carbon sequestration, involves trapping carbon into the soil so it is not released into the air. It can be integrated into chemical, direct, and indirect methods.
Carbon sequestration can be done with any kind of crop, but according to research from Cambridge University, hemp is more effective in trapping carbon as compared to other types of vegetation. Catherine Wilson of the European Industrial Hemp Organization pointed out that hemp absorbs carbon from the atmosphere as soon as it is planted. It plays a crucial role in reducing the greenhouse effect.
Hemp’s ability to absorb carbon made it an approved crop in Australia’s ‘carbon farming incentives and carbon credit system.’ Since then, it has been widely recognized for its carbon-absorbing abilities.
Cleans Soil
Bioremediation is a process in which living things clean soil. Hemp is known for its powerful bioremediation properties. It is often used in agricultural areas that have been designated as being useless for agriculture.
Hemp has been named in many success stories for its ability to clean soil. It helped one farmer located near a steel refinery to decontaminate his soil. It also absorbed contaminants in Chernobyl, where the soil was rendered unsafe and infertile for farming due to a nuclear disaster.
It’s Sustainable
Hemp has a deep taproot that turns the soil over as it grows. This activity allows growing solutions to move through the soil and enrich it with CO2 and nutrients.
Hemp leaves behind a biomass that infuses nutrients back into the soil to prepare it for the next crop. Its elongated roots loosen the soil to improve aeration and biomass. It also absorbs toxins making it a beneficial soil cleanser.
Additionally, hemp has broad leaves that prevent sunlight from getting to smaller weeds. This characteristic makes it beneficial in reducing weed growth. The lack of weed growth means farmers are less likely to use herbicides that contain chemicals that can contaminate the air.
Hemp is also pest resistant, so it protects farmlands from pest invasion. It does not require pesticides that are damaging to the environment.
Hemp is Drought Resistant
Hemp does not require a lot of water to grow, making it a drought-resistant choice. Its taproots also help it absorb water and nutrients. It does not take water and nutrients away from other plants and is a beneficial addition to agricultural areas.
A Stockholm Environment Institute Study found that it can take 10,000 liters of water to produce 1kg of cotton, enough to make a single shirt. Hemp requires about half that much water to grow and produces around 2123 kg. of usable fiber. The research suggests that hemp only needs about 5 liters of water to grow compared to cotton’s 20 liters.
Hemp requires so little water to grow that most farmers don’t need to water it at all. It can grow using the area’s rainwater and groundwater- even in hot and dry climates.
Hemp Can Save the Bees
We love our bees. They pollinate areas, making them essential for crop farming. They are also a natural source of honey. Unfortunately, many bees are dying due to pesticides, habitat destruction, global warming, air pollution, and nutritional deficits.
Hemp provides pollen that can feed bees when there is no nectar in the air. What’s more, studies show bees prefer hemp pollen to other types of pollen. It may be the answer to saving the bees.
The plant also reduces the need for pesticides that harm bee health.
Produces Higher Yield in Small Spaces
Studies show that hemp can thrive in small spaces. It takes half the land to grow compared to cotton and produces three times the fiber. It leaves farmers with more space to grow other crops.
What is Hemp Used to Make?
Hemp can be used to make a variety of sustainable products. These include:
- Hemp biofuel: Hemp biofuel is a cost-effective and environmental alternative to fuel.
- Building materials: Hempcrete is a sustainable building material made from hemp stalk and mud cement.
- Clothing: Hemp clothing produces less carbon dioxide than other clothing materials. It also uses fewer natural resources.
- Plastic: Plastic is a well-known threat to the environment. Hemp plastic is made from non-toxic, biodegradable materials, making it a sustainable alternative.
- Hemp Wood: Hemp wood is an environmental building material, as hemp matures faster than wood. It also creates oxygen and requires less energy expenditure.
- Sanitary Products: Disposable pads and other sanitary products are made with plastic and other materials that never completely biodegrade. Hemp-period care products are biodegradable and will not harm the environment.
Hempress Hygienics makes hemp personal care products, including liners, pads, cosmetic pads, and swabs. Our line is organic, biodegradable, regenerative, and kind to Mother Earth. We use natural, transparent materials you can feel good about putting on your skin.
Check out our website and join the hemp revolution to learn more about our life-changing product line.
