Our ancestors can teach us a thing or two when it comes to taking the best from nature and using its produce in our everyday lives. Humans have been harvesting hemp for centuries for medical and practical use and, lucky for us, in the last few decades it’s been making a comeback. We’ve rediscovered the benefits of natural ingredients, and hemp is a great example.
Today we can use hemp efficiently and have transformed this super plant into a full range of environmental friendly products, at a relatively low cost. Check out these 5 practical ways of using industrial hemp.
- Clothes
The Chinese were using hemp to make clothes approximately six thousand years ago. In more recent times, this resistant fibre was used exclusively to make carpets, ropes and nets. It was only at the end of the 1980s that the fashion industry reintroduced this fabric on the market. Now we can buy shoes, jeans, dresses, and even lingerie, which contain hemp, besides cotton or silk.
According to scientists, hemp fabric stops certain bacteria from spreading. So it’s possible that in the coming years we’ll use hemp to make special sheets for hospitals, as well as clothing.
- Cars
The first person to consider using plants to make light materials for his cars was Henry Ford, back in the 1940s. Nowadays, many car companies are thinking seriously about using natural products to substitute plastic and metal components.
Cars made using hemp are carbon neutral and because they’re at least 30% lighter, consume less fuel. On top of that, cars made from natural fabrics are biodegradable, so old cars will no longer be a problem for the environment.
- Biofuel
Hemp seed oil can be transformed into biodiesel. This renewable source of energy is cheap, efficient and causes less damage to our planet, as it doesn’t produce sulphur dioxide.
We can use hemp biodiesel to power generators, cars and any other machinery that requires petroleum diesel fuel to work. Biodiesel is less toxic than table salt. It can extend an engine’s life and is safer to transport, thanks to its higher flashpoint (approx. 300°F).
- Building Materials
Hemp can replace a full range of materials, from plastic to concrete and plasterboard. Technically, in a few years’ time, we could build an entire house using compressed hemp fibres. The plastic alternative made from hemp is safer and stronger than fibreglass and has a high heat tolerance. That makes it a perfect replacement for traditional plastic components.
All natural materials made using hemp are resistant, have similar costs to traditional building materials and a lower impact over the environment.
- Skin Care Products
Hemp seed oil contains high amounts of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, all important nutrients for our skin. No wonder that hemp is already a top ingredient in the natural cosmetics business.
You can take care of your body using natural products made with hemp, such as body lotions, face, hand creams, soaps, lip balm, shampoos and conditioners.
This awesome plant is already at the core of a wide range of industries, from fashion to beauty, automobiles to construction. With lower cost and fewer negative environmental consequences, hemp is without doubt the crop of the future.
