The war on environmental; conservation is not yet over. Currently, as the pressure is mounting, so is the need to bow and comply with applicable guidelines provided. Innovations into the use of hemp plastics are taking the market by a great storm. Evet manufacture is currently shifting to using hemp plastics to alternative the high pollutant plastics on the environment. Hemp has been used to come up with various types of plastics for usage. The article below provides an insightful review of hemp plastics.
The Major Reason for Alternative plastics
As the years go by, more environmental crises are emerging as a result of human activities. Such an increase in waste production is one of the reasons why these crises are emerging. Environmental damage includes significant loss of biodiversity, soil, air and water pollution, and climatic changes. Our oceans and water bodies have turned into massive damping avenues for rubbish hence threatening the marine ecosystems.
Research conducted recently revealed that more than 200Kgs of plastic are released into the oceans and seas worldwide every second. Moreover, plastics’ damage has led to the death of more than a million bird and marine mammals yearly.
Most environmental organizations and international governments are currently engaging in serious discussions to mitigate the global ecological threat.
A Raw Material from the Past
Hemp is a type of cannabis Sativa species that is grown specifically to be used by industries to derive different products. Hemp has been in use for a very long time, and its fastness in growing makes the most preferred by industries as a raw material to manufacture plastics.
Hemp has been tested and proved to have the potential to enable us to reinvent the future of plastics. Moreover, Hemp is essential for other industries, such as design, sports, automobiles, and construction. Hemp is a peculiar type of resource; although not a new type of resource, its uses can be backdated.
Research shows that Hemp is one of the crops that bring in more biodiversity. Its cultivation alone results in 3 raw materials; fiber, pulp, and seeds. Out of these three, fiber is the most widely used due to its fantastic qualities.
The Main Types of hemp Bioplastics and their Usage
Rayon, Celluloid, and Cellophane.
Both rayon and cellophane are considered regenerated cellulose fibers and are useful in producing rayon or film fiber.
Celluloid: It is gotten through cellulose nitrate production mixed with camphor, a plasticizer to generate a thick and dense thermoplastic that can be molded when subjected to heat. The cellulose in Hemp can be carefully extracted to make rayon and cellophane, forming plastic hemp bottles. Hemp products generally have low environmental impact hence widely recommended.
Hemp Cellulose
You may have been wondering and juggling your mind on how to make hemp plastics. Well, Hemp cellulose is regarded as the most readily available organic polymer. Although mostly preferred to manufacture paper, hemp cellulose can make an array of plastics, not forgetting cellophane, rayon, and celluloid.
Plastics made from cellulose and non-synthetic and organic materials are a critical raw material for the plastic industries. Moreover, bioplastics have wowed many due to their fantastic environmental benefits.
Hemp-Based Plastics
Composite plastics are made up of polymer matrix based on synthetic polymers or cellulose or reinforced fibers with a synthetic origin. Most bio-composites have at least one significant component of an organic origin. Although organic plastics are available, the most widely used are those with synthetic elements.
Usually, natural fiber is mixed with a synthetic fiber to form a bio-composite, essential in bioplastics. These bioplastics vary in strengths, stiffness, density, and senility.
Critical Ways Hemp Plastics is changing the World.
Did you know that for plastic to degrade, it will take between 500- 100 years? Nevertheless, biodegrades Hemp is here to provide optimum solutions. Below are the ways hemp plastic could change the universe.
Hemp is Non-toxic
Conventional plastics have endocrine disruptors such as BPA, which has devastating effects on our endocrine system. Among the effects are causes of hormonal imbalance, which may lead to tumors and other terminal ailments such as cancer.
Hemp aids to save endangered wildlife
The rate at which plastics are polluting the aquatic ecosystem is alarming. A study conducted recently has found that nearly 60% of seabirds have plastic in their stomachs. Moreover, the study reveals that by 2050 this number is expected to increase by 99%.
Animals, just like humans, upon consumption of plastic face devastating effects. Additionally, ingesting these plastics results in a significant number of harmful consequences.
Hemp plastics have been proven to be non-toxic; hence we should endeavor to shift our usage to these products.
Every Plastic Item can be made from Hemp
Most of the plastics we use in our homes can be made from Hemp, biodegradable and non-toxic. Furthermore, Hemp-based plastics can be molded to any preferred shape. The use of hemp products can be essential to cut off the release of petroleum-based plastics into the environment, thus reducing pollution. Additionally, the manufacture of hemp-based plastics is cheaper and eco-friendly compared to petroleum-based products.
Hemp-Based plastics are more potent than Petroleum-Based Plastics.
Due to their organic and synthetic fiber components, Hemp-based plastics are 4 times stronger and 5 times stiffer than conventional plastics. Moreover, they are lighter, thus making Hemp extremely unique. Not only are hemp-based plastics stronger, but they are also durable and are tensile, making them the best fit for the production of plastics.
Hemp Plastics Pros and Cons
Below is a review of the pros and cons of Hemp plastics.
Pros
Hemp plastics are light in mass and are durable.
They are biodegradable and recyclable.
They are eco-friendly and provides significant economic value.
Cons
Biodegradable quality is dependent on optimum environmental conditions and raw materials. In the event these factors are absent, these bioplastics last longer than expected, thus becoming pollutants.
Agricultural imbalance and specialization: The development of Hemp-based plastic industries casers a significant shift in agriculture from food crops to growing raw materials. The casual effect will be food shortages and subsequent malnutrition-related ailments.