Image by Herbal Hemp from Pixabay
Conversations about hemp can put people in a tizzy, as many people tend to conflate hemp and marijuana. But they are two separate things, though both are derived from the Cannibas Sativa plant. What’s important for our purposes is that hemp is not psychoactive (it contains minimal amounts of THC) but it can be used for a myriad of industrial purposes. Here are three simple ways to incorporate hemp into your eco-friendly lifestyle.
Paper
Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash
Paper in a school is as ubiquitous as students themselves. With an average paper use of 2-5 sheets per class, per student, that’s a lot of trees we’re cutting down to make paper airplanes. And we never stop! We use paper at work, to take notes, for our personal journals, and more. Hemp paper, which was widely used until hemp production was banned in the United States in 1937, can be produced and replaced faster than tree paper. Hemp stalks take only four months to grow, versus 20-80 years for trees. It is estimated that in a 20-year cycle, one acre of hemp stalks can produce the same amount of paper as 10 acres of trees.
Clothing
Photo by Pricilla du Preez on Unsplash
Because hemp stalks grow so quickly (about 4 meters in 100 days), they are better at CO2 absorption than regular agro-forestry. Hemp fabric is naturally antimicrobial, UV protective and mold-resistant, which means your hemp pieces stay cleaner, longer. Hemp fibre is also more resilient than cotton, so your clothes won’t get torn or tattered easily. And that’s good, because unlike some other materials, hemp fabric gets softer over time, making your pieces more comfortable the longer you have them.
Food
Image by Susanna Sieg from Pixabay
Hemp isn’t just sustainable to grow, it’s good for your health! Hemp seeds are a non-allergenic, vegan, complete protein source, giving people a healthy and sustainable option to animal products as their main protein sources. Hemp seeds are also full of essential fatty acids like Omegas-3 and -6, fibre (8% of the recommended daily intake of fibre per serving) and vitamins and minerals including vitamin B1, iron and magnesium. And hemp seeds are easy to incorporate into your diet. Sprinkle them over yogurt, salads or roasted vegetables, or throw them into your morning smoothie.
Hemp is an amazing, eco-friendly plant with a myriad of industrial and commercial uses. We're excited to share some of them with you! Share in the comments how you'll introduce hemp into your life today, and let us know if you'd like to see hemp products included in our amazing eco-boxes!