hemp plastic The world could be rid of plastic pollution and animals could be saved. Don’t believe us? Read on to find out more.
This is plastic and plastic. We know it will end. but when?
Can things change? Can ocean fish dream of plastic-free water? Is this the last The snake that vomited plastic? How long can we tolerate dead Laysan albatross chicks with bellies lined with plastic?
When the echoes of the COP26 fade, we will realize that we are addicted to the plastic fit; The future is cursed.
Enter the hemp plastic. The environmental warrior we must allow into our homes, our cities, our nations, and our planet.
Hemp is a fibrous plant that has hundreds of advantages. One of them is the ability to provide the main raw material for biodegradable plastic.
Hemp plastic is a type of bioplastic that comes from hemp fiber. The fibers are made of cellulose, an organic polymer. The cellulose is then used to make plastics.
Sure, you can research the science of it yourself. The bottom line is that hemp plastic is biodegradable and compostable.
The biggest one: it’s carbon negative. This means that more carbon is taken out of the atmosphere in the life cycle of a plant than is being produced. The plant can also prevent soil erosion and reduce water pollution.
This is a solid start. there is more.
Hemp without chemical fertilizers: No chemicals are used even in the hemp plastic production stages. This makes it a non-toxic plastic that does not contain carcinogens.
Hemp plastic is more recyclable than petroleum plastic: Ordinary plastic is recycled only 2-3 times. Moreover, the quality of the polymer chain decreases. Plastic can be hemp Recycled without limits without losing its power. Thus plastic waste can be reduced.
Hemp plastic is multi-useAnything made from petroleum-based plastic can be made from hemp plastic. Due to the strength of the material, hemp plastic can replace building materials, auto parts and even aircraft parts.
Hemp plastic resists heat: This plastic is about 2.5 times better than polypropylene plastic: so it generally lasts longer, resulting in less waste.
Hemp plastic has a wide application without compromising any of the qualities of regular plastic.
Hemp is biodegradable. Literally, it can disappear without a trace within 3-6 months, after getting rid of it.
Plastic in landfills
Landfill blockages choke the earth. These landfills pollute groundwater. Soon, these toxins contaminate large bodies of water, affecting thousands of life forms.
- in 2018, 292.4 million tons of solid waste produced in the United States
- Of this, 35.7 million tons of plastic waste.
- according to United Nations Environment ProgramWe’ve produced 8.3 billion tons of plastic since the 1950s.
- Of this, at least 60% ended up in landfills or the natural environment.
The numbers are awesome and the animals are hardest hit.
Landfills are cemeteries of wildlife
Landfills destroy the feeding habits of wildlife.
One-third of the food produced globally ends up in landfills. Animals feed on food readily available in landfills.
Unfortunately, animals cannot distinguish between rotting food and plastic. So they nibble on plastics that destroy the digestive system and reproductive system.
Landfills are also Changing migration patterns among many bird species and caused a population explosion and, in some species, a decline.
Although waste separation is one way to solve this problem, the best solution is to reduce waste production.
Hemp plastic is the perfect alternative to petroleum-based plastics to combat this problem. Since it is biodegradable, even if the plastic ends up in a landfill, it will degrade within 6 months. Furthermore, since hemp plastic can be recycled, there will be less plastic that ends up in landfills in the first place.
Plastic is killing our water bodies
It’s no secret that a lot of the plastic we use ends up in the ocean. Incorrect disposal methods are the main reason here.
Many deep sea creatures have been found to have plastic in their digestive system. A study led by academics at the University of Newcastle was conducted on trenches in the Pacific Ocean. the The researchers found Animals that live at a depth of more than 11 km and have plastic fibers or synthetic clothing in their system. This shows how deep plastic pollution has penetrated the world.
But solid plastic waste is not the only issue. Plastic in the environment degrades into fine particles. Some personal care products also contain microplastics in their ingredient list. For example, facial scrubs contain microplastics. After using it, the microplastics wash down the drain and end up in larger bodies of water.
Although there are regulations to limit the use of single-use plastics, it is almost impossible to clean up microplastic particles that have already sprouted in bodies of water.
Polluted water is a death sentence for wildlife
Microplastics are full of toxic substances.
When an animal drinks from or lives in polluted water bodies, it ends up ingesting toxins. These toxins wreak havoc on the reproductive cycle of marine animals. Plastic pollutants contain chemicals called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These cause hormonal disturbances in animals that have a significant impact on reproductive and general health.
one study She found a killer whale that had massive amounts of PCBs in their systems. This is a banned compound that was used in plastic production until 2004. This capsule has not reproduced during the 25-year period in which the study was conducted.
There is a similar effect across the board for many species. Either they are unable to reproduce, or the offspring are born with health conditions that do not allow them to survive.
Ghost gear, that is, fishing gear lost or abandoned at sea, is another big problem for wildlife. Many survey animals think of fishing nets as food. Unfortunately, they discover that the hard way isn’t food but something that can kill them. Sometimes caught whales and dolphins do not appear in the nets and end up drowning.
Hemp nets are the perfect alternative to synthetic fishing nets. It’s actually more durable than synthetic nets. Hemp plastic is also free of toxins, so if animals decide to chomp, they are less likely to be affected by the chemicals.
Plastic in the soil means the future is bleak
Plastic is the most common litter after cigarette butts. The main problem with garbage is very obvious. Animals find plastic on the ground and assume it is food. This causes intestinal obstruction and poisoning. This, in turn, leads to malnutrition and painful death.
Another major issue is the plastic particles in farm soil. One study claims that 107,000 to 730,000 tons of microplastics are actually dumped on land in the United States and Europe alone. That’s compared to the 93,000 to 236,000 tons finding their way into the oceans.
Pollution with microplastics greatly affects the quality of the soil and the microorganisms that live in the soil. We’ve all heard that earthworms are farmers’ best friends. But it was found that in places where there are microplastic particles, there are no earthworms. This directly affects birds that depend on earthworms for food.
In some cases, earthworms end up eating microplastics. Then, when the birds eat the worms, the plastic enters the birds’ system through a process called biomagnification. Thus, the plastic particles move up the food chain to affect every living thing they come in contact with.
Besides plastic hemp, the hemp plant itself is a potential solution to microplastic particles in the soil. There is evidence that growing hemp plants rids the soil of pollutants. And because hemp cultivation does not require chemical fertilizers, the crop is an excellent choice for cleaning the ground.
The need for a sustainable solution is urgent.
hemp plastic It has the potential to be that solution. The barrier between potential and reality is her unfortunate relationship with marijuana. Awareness about the differences between the two crops has not yet penetrated legislators. Consequently, many countries are reluctant to pass regulations that allow farmers to grow hemp.
Another reason for the continued unpopularity of hemp plastic is its higher marginal cost compared to petroleum-based plastics. Although the benefits are vast, industries are reluctant to spend a few extra pennies for a better world.
The need for change is urgent, and it is time for us all to step up.
https://hempplastic.com/facts/
https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/
https://wayofleaf.com/hemp/how-is-hemp-plastic-manufactured
https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/lure-landfills-how-garbage-changes-animal-behavior
https://www.grida.no/resources/6929
https://inhabitat.com/plastic-pollution-is-causing-reproduc-problems-for-ocean-wildlife/
