Plastic is the leading cause of marine pollution. Plastic that takes around 450 years to degrade. The hemp bioplastic instead, naturally biodegradable in a very short time, it could reverse this trend which is so harmful to both humans and the environment.
There is one to confirm it study of 2018 conducted by Pakistani researchers and presented at the International Conference on Advances on Clean Energy Research.
Plastic will kill us, let's go back to hemp bioplastic
Plastic is omnipresent. According to a 2015 study, they end up in the seas and oceans every year 8 million tons of plastic, killing marine species and destroying ecosystems. But not only that. Because plastic, fragmented into microplastics invisible to the naked eye, is part of the daily diet of all of us, whether we want it or not.
Because of the fish we eat and the water we drink, whether it comes from the tap or bottled. In fact, according to a study commissioned by the WWF and conducted by researchers at the University of Newcastle in Australia, humans ingest approximately 5 grams of plastic per week for a total of 250 grams each year.
Not a healthy habit at all, obviously. It is therefore essential to reevaluate your diet, making it as plant-based as possible, but above all your own lifestyle.
In a society that makes the most unbridled consumerism its strong point, we must commit ourselves to practicing rigidity critical consumption. Purchasing only when absolutely necessary and preferring plastic-free items that respect environmental and social criteria.
However, all this is not enough. We have to eradicate the problem at the root and completely eliminate the use of plastic. It almost seems like a utopian vision, but in reality, taking a small dive into the past, we notice how hemp bioplastic has always done this job perfectly, at least until the beginning of the twentieth century and the advent of plastic derived from fossil fuels.
A clear example is the Henry Ford's Hemp Body Car: the ecological car par excellence, which boasted a bioplastic body made mainly from hemp and soy and a completely green diet based on hemp bioethanol.
Hemp bioplastic 'must' replace conventional plastic: study
The study's researchers begin by explaining that: "Plastic has a devastating impact on our planet. Most plastics produced today are made from petroleum-based compounds that release harmful gases into the atmosphere. Disposal solutions are inefficient and harmful byproducts poison land, water and wildlife."
"So let's introduce you hemp plastic, 100% biodegradable in nature if produced using exclusively hemp. Hemp plant that captures up to 4 times the CO2 stored by trees", offering numerous environmental benefits for the Earth.
Furthermore, the scholars continue: "The fiber that we can produce from hemp is more resistant of the conventional fiber we use today. This document aims to show the many advantages of using hemp to produce biodegradable plastics rather than conventional plastics."
Conclusion? "Although producing plastic using only hemp plants involves more effort and money, conventional plastics should be completely replaced with those made of hemp".
Hemp bioplastic is already a reality
Fortunately, the paradigm shift, or rather, the return to the past, has already begun. Hemp bioplastics are already reality and they will be increasingly present in the coming years.
According to a recent study curated by Market.us, it is estimated that the global market for hemp bioplastics will go from 83.5 million dollars in 2021 to $290.7 million by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6%.
The analysis specifies that hemp, compared to other sources of bioplastic, "has a high power of absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere and a low need for pesticides, fertilizers and water, which make it a superior resource compared to cotton and wood".
"Different grades of hemp bioplastics - conclude the analysts - are produced by infusing hemp fibres. These bioplastics are 5 times stiffer and 2.5 times stronger than polypropylene. This infusion of fiber reduces pollution levels, is more durable and biodegradable."
