Hemp Fiber: Why is it Better than Cotton?
Hemp has been cultivated for more than ten thousand years. It was one of the pillars of ancient China and was used to produce paper, ropes, and fabrics. The medicinal properties of the hemp plant were already used three-thousand years ago.
Hemp is one of the most powerful plants in the world. It produces twice as much fiber as cotton, uses much less water and pesticides, and improves the soil while it is in it.
Hemp is usually associated directly with marijuana, but few know that this plant is highly versatile and can completely replace oil, for example, in terms of the production of fuels and plastics.
Another of its strengths is that it is an ecological alternative to cotton to produce textile fibers, in addition to being a source of food that should not be overlooked and prime raw material for the manufacture of shopping bags.
Hemp vs. Cotton
Hemp provides very resistant fibers that can be used for the production of fabrics far superior to cotton in quality and strength ideal for the manufacture of accessories and clothing and shopping bags. Shopping bags made from hemp are also much more durable than cotton and do not need to be replaced as often.
Cotton needs 9.7 liters of water to grow 1 kg of fiber, while hemp only needs 2.1 liters of water. In some areas of the world, there is a shortage of water and even desertification due to the cultivation of cotton. Moving to hemp could help conserve the earth’s freshwater resources.
Hemp can produce the same amount of material as cotton on half the land surface. It may not have been a major concern for 18th-century farmers, but in the modern world, where land is scarce, we should think more about efficient crops.
Hemp can be grown in the same soil for 14 years without causing much damage to the soil. In addition, by allowing it to dry in the fields. This is up to 60% of the nutrients, which can be returned to the soil.
Recent studies have shown that it can really cure the soil, even eliminating toxins such as heavy metals from it, which is known as phytoremediation in addition to fixing certain nutrients that make it more fertile.
On the contrary, cotton destroys the soil. Runoff due to the high use of pesticides in cotton cultivation can damage the surrounding ecosystem. Another study showed that GMO cotton can kill vital bacteria and enzymes in the soil.
Hemp plants act as natural pesticides for insects, nematodes, mites, and weeds. Therefore, they require fewer pesticide treatments than cotton. As mentioned earlier, hemp only needs half the soil than cotton for the same amount of product, which further reduces the amount of pesticide used in hemp bags compared to cotton bags.
Our hemp shopping bags are made of 100% hemp material, which offers superior functionality along with exceptional environmental sustainability. We offer you high-quality hemp bags, which are durable, highly-resistant towards to mold, mildew, and UV rays of the sun. Not only are they stylish but provide you with good practical use.
