Wait, why are we still not using hemp plastic?

Hemp plastic can be used to make a range of items in households, electronics, cosmetics, automobiles, and even toys. It offers a whole range of options, not only options, but also biodegradable options. It has everything it takes to be the new plastic.

Imagine a world that was not interspersed with non-biodegradable items, a world with items made from hemp plants … this world could be possible with hemp plastic.

Climate scientists will also agree, hemp is a wonder plant that needs to be used on a larger scale, if not to heal people, then to make the environment cleaner.

There are several barriers holding hemp from being the plastic the world needs. These barriers have made it difficult to mass-produce hemp plastic, and therefore extremely expensive for those who might want to consider it.

Read on to learn more about these obstacles.

Pollution from fossil fuel plastics

The world is gradually being destroyed by billions of plastic waste on land and water.

These popular plastic items stay in the environment without losing their shape. They even sneak into the food chain more than desired and have negative effects on the health of humans and animals in the ecosystem.

Fossil fuels play an important role in the current global warming trend that is being experienced worldwide.

An uninhabited coral island in the South Pacific was searched and approximately 38 million units of plastic waste were found. This is an uninhabited area, what number would we expect if we were looking for a busy and populated place like America.

The University of Tasmania researchers who conducted this study are supported by the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. One of the researchers, Jennifer Lavers, expressed concern in her interview with The Guardian.

The oceanographer has traveled to some of the most distant islands in the world to explore the surrounding waters. She mentioned that all of the islands she has visited have the same prehistory. The beaches are full of evidence of human pollution. From microplastics to tiny plastic fragments, the waters are littered with all sorts of pollutants. These tiny materials are often consumed by the marine life in these waters and islands.

In 2014, National Geographic revealed that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is filled with millions of tiny plastic particles.

Hemp plastic

Agricultural hemp is a non-psychoactive cannabis plant that can be used for various options such as cloth, paper, plastic, and even medicine. It has been found that this golden plant serves as an alternative to plastics for fossil fuels.

Long before fossil fuels were discovered and made into plastics, cellulose fibers extracted from organisms were used to make plastics. Hemp consists of 65-70% cellulose, other wood sources contain less than 50% cellulose. This factor makes it suitable to be used as a raw material for biodegradable plastics with relative sustainability.

Hemp cellulose fibers are a good source of many non-petroleum-based plastics such as cellophane, rayon, celluloid, and other forms of related plastics.

Hemp plastics are not made entirely from hemp. Manufacturers combine hemp cellulose with other plant sources to create composite bioplastics. 100% hemp plastics are hard to find. Composite bioplastics have high strength and rigidity that make them suitable for building musical instruments, boats, and automobiles.

Right now, hemp plastic is not enough to solve the world’s pollution problem

After all, 60% of all plastic products worldwide are made from polymer resins. Everyday products such as plastic bottles are made from the polymer resin polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Hemp plastic shows promise, but the right technology to mass-produce this product is not yet ready. Proponents of a less polluted world believe that one day customers will be able to purchase products that are packaged in 100% hemp-based containers.

Coca-Cola is one of the first to experiment with 100% vegetable bottles. Due to the production costs, these bottles could not be adopted on a large scale. Less than 30% of their commercially available products are made from plant-based materials. The remaining raw materials used are obtained from conventional fossil fuels.

The race to make the first viable 100% plant-based bottle has begun, and the winner will generate millions of dollars in sales. The good news is that PET bottles will one day be replaced. With many companies investing heavily in this research and experimentation, the future may be closer than we think.

The disposal method is important

Hemp plastic and other plant-based plastic materials may not be biodegradable if thrown in landfills. This means that these materials can still be a source of pollution on land and in the oceans.

Scientists claim that microplastics made from hemp can cause extreme problems if excessively dumped into the oceans and other bodies of water.

The correct disposal method for these biodegradable plastics is to ship them in bulk to commercial composting facilities.

Another problem is that these facilities are expensive to build and therefore not available to everyone. That means companies and scientists are working hard to make safer and cheaper substitutes for plastic, but people need to develop the right ways to dispose of all products – biodegradable or not.

Bottom line: The cost and the fight against drugs will keep hemp plastic a luxury product

Countries around the world are buffering the cost of fossil fuels with subsidies. Due to the limited global legislation on cannabis / hemp plants, the majority of these countries refuse to keep hemp prices down with subsidies.

The war on drugs is a major barrier to the growth of the hemp infrastructure. Countries need to think beyond that level and consider the other benefits that could result from growing hemp for medicinal CBD as well as for its fiber content.

As technology improves, prices for hemp-based products will plummet; It has so far been supported by the increased cultivation of these plants. Fortunately, hemp requires fewer pesticides to grow well and has a smaller environmental footprint than other common crops.

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