From Packaging To Construction: How Hemp Is Making Our World Green
In the last decade, several US States have granted official permission for industrial and medical use of Cannabis. Hemp, which produces cannabis, is one of the oldest-known natural compounds that man has used for several reasons ranging from worship to medicine. The uses of cannabis do not end there, however. There is another way in which hemp is impacting our world today.
Earth and Global Warming: The Battle
Last year, the UK hosted the UN Climate Change Conference. At that conference, world leaders spoke about the challenge and potentially disastrous impact that global warming and other climate issues are causing and may cause. Several leaders reiterated calls and alarms over the “short window” that we have to battle carbon emissions and help tilt the balance toward a safer and greener environment.
But the issues, which began centuries ago, have reached a climax in our industrial age. Today, practically every human endeavor and industry contributes their unfortunate quota toward global carbon emission. Many companies and businesses are now ‘going green’; a term that describes their adaptations and actions toward cutting down or ending their carbon emission. Among the dozens of strategies and plans, we identify one that involves hemp, the miracle plant.
From Packaging to Construction: Hemp Offers a Solution
Besides the medical and culinary uses of hemp and hemp-derived products, hemp is finding a stronger voice in the fight to make the world greener. Today, hemp is being used across several important industries to improve our carbon score and to make the world greener. To put it in context, there are three approaches to making our world greener:
- Replacing carbon-emitting processes with non or extremely low-carbon emission processes.
- Increasing carbon absorption by green plants.
- Using zero-carbon products, materials, and items.
Hemp is being used in the second and third approaches. In this report, researchers reported that one hectare of industrial hemp can absorb 15–22 Tonnes of CO2 yearly, and that’s for absorption only. How about preventing the production of CO2 in certain industries?
Packaging
Packaging describes the materials used to protect or package goods. The global packaging industry, worth nearly $1 trillion, largely relies on synthetic materials and a few natural products. For example, plastics of different grades, nylon, Teflon, and synthetic polymers. But we are now talking about sustainable packaging for manufacturing, transportation, and storage of goods. Hemp packaging is increasingly important in this regard. From roll guards to food packages and hemp plastics, we are witnessing the increasing use of hemp in making packages that reduce our carbon footprint and save other natural resources such as water and energy.
Construction
A modern approach to construction use Hempcrete, a hemp-derived building material, and hemp wood for constructing houses. Hemp wood absorbs CO2 and is strong enough to be used for walls, ceilings, and even roofing. More research is underway to make hempcrete stronger for construction purposes.
Clothing
Hemp is also used for making clothes. Hemp fabric has been around for centuries but modern technologies have improved the process. Today, hemp clothes are in demand with a global market worth billions of dollars. Hemp is also used to make ropes and mixed fabrics.
There is no doubt that hemp is gaining a more significant role in the modern fight against climate change. Although the impact is relatively little, we can expect more as researchers invent new technologies to harness the benefits of this miracle plant.
