Hemp fibre

Hemp facts

·         Hemp is produced from the bast fibre of the cannabis plant.

·         Hemp fabric is 4 times stronger than cotton.

·         The fabric has hypo-allergenic properties.

·         Hemp material has a similar look to that of linen but has a much softer feel; the texture of hemp has been compared to fabrics similar to flannel.

·         Like linen the fabric also creases easily.

·         Hemp had UV resistant properties.

·         The fabric is not colour-fast, so is often made in neutral shades as bright colours will wash out of the fibre.

·         Hemp is often used in fabric blends rather than by itself.

·         Levi made their very first pair of jeans out of Hemp fibres.

·         Hemp also has many other uses such as animal feed, food dressings, cosmetics and cleaning products just to name a few.

 

 

http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2005/12/hemp_facts_on_t.html

Is hemp sustainable?

·         Hemp is a completely renewable source and does not require the use of pesticides in the growing process so causes no harm to our environment or our natural eco-systems.

·         The plant grows naturally very quickly and can be cultivated in less than 100 days. This means that it was rival the likes of Bamboo (2-4 years) and Lyocell (50-60 year) when it comes to how quickly the fabric can be produced.

·         The plant also produced more fibre per acre than timber.

·         The main issue with hemp is that although it is biodegradable is takes thousands of years to decompose and with therefore have to be put in landfill.