Hemp-based plastics – Material of the future
The most novel technology has opened the door to the new type of ecological polymer which does not depend on petroleum anymore but cellulose. Bioplastic is renewable, its production is sustainable and sometimes also cheap because it is produced from agricultural waste. So-called technical hemp is an excellent resource of cellulose and the hemp-based plastic could change our planet.
Why technical hemp?
Technical hemp is a type of Sativa which is used in an industrial environment. Technical hemp contains less than 0.3 % of THC, the psychoactive compound of marijuana, so it is legal to cultivate it in every country of the EU.
Probably the most essential aspect of the cannabis plant is its versatility. Hemp is a multi-purpose crop, and every part can be used in different ways. Hemp fibre is commonly used to produce light paper, isolative material and bio-composites.
Hemp flax - the wooden internal core of stems – is used to the bedding of animals. Seeds of hemp are very nutritious, and you can consume them raw or press oils from them. Raw seeds and oil from hemp seeds are used in food for both, people and animals.
Last but not least, technical hemp is also used in the production of cannabidiol (CBD), the cannabinoid which shows to be very promising due to treatment of epilepsy, anxiety and insomnia.
Therefore the cannabis plant is versatile, and only a few producers are willing to use all its parts. Some farmers also cultivate hemp because of its seeds, some because of its stems and so on. So at the end of the farming season, almost all farmers growing hemp have some residues that can be sold to the producers of bioplastics.
Hemp plastics
Hemp plastics are popular at recent times, the truth however, is that they exist almost as long as plastics themselves. Hemp is easily cultivated and contains high concentrations of cellulose (up to 70 %), so people began to produce plastics already before World War II.
In reality, Henry Ford – founder of automotive brand Ford himself – was amazed by the quality of hemp-based plastics, so he designed a car which used hemp-based plastics in various components.
Based on historical events, which happened in that period, it is not completely clear, if Ford was a defender of hemp-based plastics or he turned over to plastics because war industry needed all steel that could have been acquired. He needed to build his cars from something. Ford, however, used hemp-based plastic in a prototype of automobile which has never been produced.
Nowadays, European consumers always try to buy ecological friendly items, so the production of bioplastics in Europe is increasing. Approximately one-fifth of companies of the worldwide production of bioplastics have headquarters in Europe which is rapidly becoming the centre for the whole industry producing bioplastics, not only for hemp-based plastics.
But thanks to the prospering market with CBD, cannabis could become the primary resource for bioplastics production in the following years. And hemp-based plastic has its advantages.
Advantages of hemp-based plastics
1. Hemp-based plastics are biodegradable
One of the problems with plastics based on petroleum is that they are extraordinarily resistant. Because only a little part of plastics is recycled, the majority of them end in waste disposal. Decomposition of traditional plastics can last thousands of years but the exact data about the time when the plastics decompose is not clear. What is even worse is that side products and their decomposition could be toxic for the environment.
On the contrary, hemp-based plastic is biodegradable. The decomposition of hemp-based plastic takes about six months, and its side products are not toxic for the environment. Hemp-based plastic can decompose in two or three months in the right conditions.
If you do not recycle the hemp-based plastic, it will still decompose in basic components, which means that it will not create mounds of waste in the dump site.
2. Hemp-based plastics are not toxic for both, people and animals
Hemp-based plastics are not toxic to the environment and also not for people and animals. Plastics based on petroleum contain properties which work as substances disturbing the endocrinal system.
Common plastics contain substances called bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and phthalates. These substances disturb the human and animal endocrinal systems.
We will not focus on details here, but disruption of the endocrinal system is linked with a whole range of problems, such as congenital disabilities, development of tumours, learning disorders, cancer, etc.
As a matter of interest – these intruders of the endocrinal system are one of the reasons why packaged water has the expiration date. While water does not expire, plastic bottle finally discharges chemicals inside which could be bad for you. The expiration date serves, besides other things, as a safety measure.
3. Hemp-base plastics are solid and universal
Hemp-based plastics are solid. They are excellent. The plastic produced from cannabis is up to 3.5 times more robust than polypropylene, one of the most common types of plastics produced on the petroleum basis. The hemp-based plastic is also lighter.
Thanks to these properties, hemp-based plastics are universal, and they can be used in various ways. Among industries that begin to depend on hemp-based plastics, the production of:
- Toys
- Electronics
- Packages
- Bottles
- Bags
- Furniture
- Automotive parts
- Dinghy
4. Hemp-based plastics help to the environment
Hemp-based plastics help the environment because they are produced from cannabis which is beneficial for the environment from many aspects.
Technical hemp is a robust plant which has deep roots. Hemp crops prevent land erosion which decreases water pollution. These plants can be cultivated in the same soil for several seasons without any damage to their quality. Cannabis also absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduces the greenhouse effect.
Besides that, every part of the plant can be used, so none of them ends in the waste. Cultivation of cannabis has sustainable long-term development, and because also plastic produced from it is biodegradable, the whole process and its results are environmentally friendly.
Why can humankind not produce all plastics from cannabis?
You might be wondering why the humankind does not produce all plastics, which it needs, from cannabis, because the plant is a great alternative to petroleum.
Several reasons exist why it will never happen. Firstly, I cannot sufficiently emphasize, would you not like that “small” companies in the oil industry stopped earning mountains of euros a day? They could decide to increase the price of petroleum to compensate for their losses, but finally, you will pay for it from your pocket.
Secondly, and this is probably more important, cannabis cultivation, which could substitute oil in plastic industry, do not have to be as useful as you think. Cannabis is an extraordinary plant which promises a lot in many sectors. But if you would like to substitute all plastics in the world with hemp-based plastics, you would, in reality, damage the environment.
To cultivate sufficient amount of cannabis, which would satisfy demand of plastic industry, the humankind would have to plant cannabis on vast areas of soil. Variety of our planet is, however, already imperilled because we saw down forests and we change them into agricultural soil to feed farm animals which we then eat. What do you think that would happen to forests if we needed room for the cultivation of the whole cannabis?
Hemp-based plastics – Conclusion
Hemp-based plastics are a decent alternative to common plastics. A plastic produced from cannabis is strong, resistant and light, so that it can be useful in many industries.
The majority of Europeans think that biodegradable plastics will play an important role in the future, and it is probably true. Bioplastics will slowly become a part of our lives. It, however, does not mean that plastics based on petroleum should not exist anymore.
Instead of dreaming about the improbable future where the waste will not be toxic, dumpsites will not pollute and plastics will not damage the environment, we should encourage people to responsible plastics recycling instead of throwing them into the mixed waste.
Less than one-third of the plastic waste in Europe is recycled. The improvement of this value could be more beneficial than biodegradable plastics. The majority of the produced plastic is still around. If we do not do anything with it, the majority of it will also be around our children and grand-children. Finally, it is not the plastic that pollutes the environment. It is people.