Is Hemp Plastic The Future of Packaging?
Can Hemp replace plastics?
Plastic is bad. It clogging the oceans, killing fish, and, generally, making us all have a bad time. Numerous solutions to this global problem have been put in place, some are effective, while others are fairly useless. One solution would be to replace all packaging with something more sustainable than plastic, but what could that be? Turns out, it hemp.
An American company, Sana Packaging, introduced a line of totally sustainable reclaimed plastic. The product recycles plastic reclaimed from the ocean, and uses 100% plant-based and chemical-based hemp to create a line of environmentally friendly chemical hemp.
Their first run of reclaimed plastic and hemp packaging managed to remove 4 tons of plastic waste from the oceans. On top of this hemp is a highly sustainable crop, it grows quickly, and doesnt need any harmful pesticides.
Hemp is Versatile
Hemp has a huge range of uses, it can be converted into everything from fabric and diesel, to the airframe of a small plane! It no surprise that it can be used to create effective and sustainable packaging.
The current range of plastic packaging is making its debut in North America, with several states singing its praises. These states happen to be the ones leading the way in cannabis legalisation, so it safe to say that they have found other uses for the cannabis plant aside from packaging.
Eight million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, and microplastics have been found at the most remote depths of the ocean floor. This pivot away from petrochemicals and towards sustainable, biodegradable plastics is a must if we hope to reverse some of the severe damage industry has done to the planet.
