Plastics

Description:

Car companies are starting to use hemp in cars such as Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, and more. Hemp plastic can be made into an interior of a car door or automobile glove box.

How it’s Made:

To help produce cellulose nano crystals from hemp, the raw pulp of cellulose is added to a weak solution then the nano cellulose is produced. A pseudo plastic is produced from the nano cellulose.⁽¹⁾

Advantages:

Hemp bioplastics are lightweight, eco-friendly and is a very ideal replacement for petrochemical plastics. By locking in carbon, hemp plastics can also lessen the greenhouse effect.⁽²⁾

Disadvantages:

Hemp plastic products cannot compete with the traditional plastics in price mainly because it is limited use due to the legislative restrictions.⁽³⁾

History:

Hemp base plastic was manufactured by Henry Ford in 1941. The body of Ford’s automobile is made from hemp-based plastic and is known to be lighter and durable.⁽⁴⁾

Looking to the Future:

Hemp plastic can make a big impact in our planet because it is sustainable and cheap. Technology are opening doors to an eco-friendly alternative to polymer and not reliant on petroleum but on hemp which is a great source of cellulose.⁽⁵⁾