Why is hemp considered the sustainable raw material of the future? If you want to know more about the sustainability of the plant, you've come to the right place! In Germany, it has been legal to grow a maximum of three cannabis plants per person since April 2024. All the more reason to take a closer look at this promising plant.
Hemp or cannabis was cultivated as a grain over 12,000 years ago and is considered the oldest cultivated plant in many parts of the world. The fibers have always been used to make clothing or paper, for example - and the seeds were eaten.
Over time, the hemp plant fell somewhat behind - partly because many new, alternative materials became available. Nowadays, however, we are fortunately rediscovering its benefits. From the textile industry to the construction sector, hemp can play a key role in our future.
In this article, I would therefore like to give you some good reasons why hemp is sustainable and still an underestimated raw material. Let's go!
1. the cultivation of hemp conserves resources
In home cultivation, hemp needs a relatively large amount of water and permanent very strong light. But things are different in the field. Hemp only needs a sunny location and, compared to the cultivation of cotton, for example only one sixth of the amount of waterto produce the same dry matter.1
This advantage is mainly due to the fact that the hemp roots reach up to 3 meters deep. The uncomplicated Cultivation without artificial irrigation naturally makes it particularly valuable for planting in dry regions where Water Shortage reigns.
Small disadvantage: Modified forage harvesters and agricultural machinery are needed to cultivate and harvest the hemp plants, which can grow up to four meters high. Of course, their production also consumes resources. But only once - and other crops also have to be harvested with large machines.
2. hemp is extremely versatile
From Textiles and environmentally friendly insulation materials, about Foods such as hemp seeds and hemp oils, CBD products and Bioplastics, up to Paper and even Biofuels - the hemp plant is able to supply a wide range of products.
This versatility creates alternatives and can, among other things, help to reduce dependence on limited natural resources and to reduce the ecological footprint of many industries.
Good to know: Hemp stores up to 1.6 tons of CO2 per ton of biomass. The plant therefore also has potential in the fight against climate change. You can find out more about this in this article: https://www.nordicoil.de/blogs/cbd/kann-hanf-unseren-planeten-retten.
3. hemp produces high yields with little space
Hemp not only conserves resources, but is also profitable: a hemp field can be produce up to three times as many fibers as a cotton field of the same size.
It is therefore Less space requiredto produce the same amount of material. Ultimately, this optimizes the use of land, decelerates the extraction of additional arable land and also reduces the Biodiversity promoted.
4. the hemp plant grows extremely quickly
The hemp plant is a fast-growing plant. When grown outdoors, it already reaches 5-6 months (or longer) their full height. This enables fast harvesting cycles and therefore more efficient production of raw materials.
Accordingly, the high growth rate is a decisive factorwhich makes hemp sustainable.
Good question! Why don't we only produce paper from fast-growing hemp? In this way we could help the Deforestation definitely counteract this! If you have an answer, please leave me a comment.
5. hemp can be grown organically without pesticides
The good ecological balance of the hemp plant is also a consequence of the fact that cultivation is possible without the use of environmental toxins. Neither pesticides, insecticides nor herbicides are used.
This advantage makes hemp sustainable - and is mainly due to the fact that the plant many roots and already dense foliage in early summer so that hardly any weeds grow in the field.
For the Protecting biodiversity Although the lack of wild plants is negative - the absence of Pesticides that are toxic to insects and other wild animals however, is extremely positive.
6. hemp plants promote the soil
Hemp not only copes with nutrient-poor soils, but actually improves the soil structure. One of the reasons for this is that the Cultivation without chemical pesticides and fertilizers takes place.
The dense-growing hemp plant covers the entire arable land within a few weeksso that a possible Soil Erosion is prevented.
Good to know: According to studies hemp cultivation is even suitable for cleaning contaminated soils (a so-called Phytoremediation), as the plant can store heavy metals.
7. hemp is undemanding and grows everywhere
I can also answer the question of whether hemp is sustainable with a yes, because it really is sustainable. on almost any soil and in almost all climate zones can grow in the world.
Their undemanding nature in terms of site conditions ultimately also ensures that the Very short transportation routes - especially compared to cotton cultivation are.
8. products made from hemp are biodegradable
Naturally hemp is a natural product. Accordingly, basically all products made from the plant are biodegradable.
This property of hemp is particularly valuable when it comes to the Research into alternatives for plastic goes. In fact, cannabis can also be used to produce bioplastics that can be Decomposes within a few months and not for centuries as a Plastic waste in the environment lingers, pollutes nature and endangers animal life.
9. textiles made from hemp are hard-wearing and durable
In fact, textiles made from hemp have been around for thousands of years! They are known above all for their durability and robustness and are by far the most not only hard-wearing, but also dirt-resistant.
As a result they naturally need to be washed less oftenwhich again saves water, energy and detergent.
Good to know: Hemp fashion is also so popular because the material regulates temperatures and moisture and prevents unpleasant odors.
10. all parts of the hemp plant can be utilized
Compared to many other useful plants, every component of the hemp plant can be used from root to flower. This of course corresponds to the basic idea of Zero Waste Lifestyle and maximizes the efficiency of resource use, which in turn leads to a more sustainable production chain leads.
Here are a few examples for how the respective plant parts can be utilized:
- Roots: Processing into tea or medicinal ointments.
- Flower: Use for medicinal products, food or aromatherapy.
- Fan blades: Use as a tobacco substitute, tea, animal feed or juice.
- Sugar leaves: Used for the production of tea, topicals and cannabis oil, among other things.
- Coke: The tip of the inflorescence is used for medicinal and recreational cannabis products.
- Wrapper leaves: Suitable for the production of cannabis concentrates, among other things.
- Trichomes: It can be used to make shatter, cannabis oil, hashish and wax.
- Stem: The stems provide fibers for the paper, textile and construction industries. They can also be processed into oil for biofuel or ground for mulching in the garden.
Hemp is sustainable - and one of the raw materials of the future!
Now you know the many benefits of hemp and can better understand why the plant is considered the sustainable raw material of the future. Hemp is sustainable and offers potential solutions for many ecological challenges of our time.
By increasing the use of hemp in various industries, we can ultimately not only improve our Reducing dependence on environmentally harmful raw materialsbut also actively contribute to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle - and the world.
"What we do today will determine what the world looks like tomorrow."
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (more at Environmental protection quotes)
I hope I have been able to help you with this article. Do you have any questions, suggestions or would you like to share your experiences with the sustainability of hemp? Then I look forward to your comment!
Stay sustainable,
PS: Incidentally, hemp oil production produces a very natural protein powder as a by-product, the so-called Hemp protein. If you like, you can find out everything you need to know about it in the linked article.
References
- H. Foltan: Frugal alternative to cotton plants - More hemp for less water in the field (as of 09.11.2020), available at https://www.laborpraxis.vogel.de/mehr-hanf-fuer-weniger-wasser-auf-dem-feld-a-0d9f39967456e552b6cd557db9a1abd3. [17.05.2024]. ↩︎
