We are under a climate crisis.
The earth is warming up gradually as a result of daily human activities.
The temperature is getting higher and the sea levels are rising.
And there is no end in sight.
Environmentalists have declared an emergency for innovations in all sectors so that the emissions of carbon and greenhouse gases are gradually decreased.
Currently, billions of CO2 are released into the atmosphere and the textile industry is contributing a third of it!
How the Textile industry is polluting the earth?
Have you ever imagined how much work is put behind a piece of apparel? Let us consider a cotton shirt.
In order to make a cotton shirt, first, the raw material has to be produced.
For growing cotton, pesticides and water in huge quantities are used.
Once the raw material is grown, it is harvested and processed to make yarns.
Yarns are then processed to make fabric, which is further dyed, cut, washed, and stitched together into apparel.
It doesn’t end there.
The apparel has to be shipped from the manufacturer to the end customer via transportation channels like air, ship, train, or road.
Once the customer buys apparel, he may use it for a couple of years and discard it.
Depending on the type of product, the degradation rate varies.
Some decays, others become waste which doesn’t degrade.
This is only a peek into the pollution and negative impact the clothing industry has on earth and humans.
Today, there is a great emergency to decrease this impact and it can only happen when the manufacturers are switching to more eco-friendly and organic fabrics and processes.
Also when customers are conscious of their actions and decide to purchase products that are friendlier to their earth.
This is where Hemp fabrics play an important role.
What is Hemp fabric?
Hemp fabric is derived from the hemp plant.
The hemp plant is the non-psychoactive version of ‘weed’.
Throughout history, hemp products have played a significant role in society by providing fabrics, papers, and other similar products.
The American Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper and the hemp is also mentioned in the Atharva Vedas, a Hindu scripture, including it among the five sacred plants.
Hemp Plant
- Grows without any pesticides or fertilizers
- Needs less water
- Grow quicker than most natural fibers like cotton
- Highly durable
- Naturally odor resistant.
- Protects from harmful UV rays.
How Hemp Fabric is made?
The hemp plant is processed to separate its long strands of fiber from the stalk of the plant in a process called retting. The result of this process is raw hemp fiber.
The raw fibers are then spun into a continuous thread that can be used to make a hemp fabric.
The continuous threads are then woven into fabrics. All these processes can be done in a natural way and the impact is less compared to other natural fibers like cotton.
Thus developed fabric can be treated with organic or natural colors to make it even earth friendlier.
The final hemp fabric is then turned into clothing or any other piece of textile.
So, have the top brands adopted the new fabric?
Yes, major brands have already included hemp-based products in their collection as a move towards sustainable fashion. Below are the brands with a wide range of collections.
- Jungmaven
- Levi’s Wellthread Collection
- Patagonia Hemp Clothing Collection
- Recreator
- Hempy’s
- Wama Underwear
- Tact & Stone
There have also been new brands that are solely focusing on hemp products like the following:
- blabel.in
- itshemp.in
- hemis.store
The hemp revolution is already here. As industries look for sustainability, the importance and innovation in the hemp category will also increase. Customers will be educated with advertisements to push hemp fabrics into mainstream fashion. The future will only be for sustainable and ethical fashion.
References:
https://medium.com/@jamesmanuele2017/hemp-vs-cotton-clothing-we-have-a-clear-winner-9d12785ebd50
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cannabis-one-sacred-plant-atharva-veda-sindhu-karpakal/
https://www.blabel.in/blogs/hemp-lovers/hemp-makes-a-comeback
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