Why Hemp Clothing is Good For the Environment

Why Hemp Clothing Is Good For The Environment

The fact that we can utilize the seed, fiber, leaf, flower and more means we can make a variety of products from it: milk, oil, paper, hemp skin cream, clothing and even concrete . This is a plant that’s great for the environment and some even think that using it in the production of clothes instead of synthetic and cotton fibers can be an important step in fixing global climate change.

How is it made?

The main differences that make hemp clothes much more environmentally friendly is how the hemp is grown and later processed. To produce synthetic fibers, which make up 58% of all the world’s textiles, manufacturers use fossil fuels. Because of this, the production of synthetic fibers releases environmentally dangerous greenhouse gases such as CO2. As for the production of natural fibers such as cotton, it doesn’t use any fossil fuel, but the coloring of these clothes causes water pollution because the companies which make them dye their clothes with local water sources and expel their waste to local rivers and waterways, making the water undrinkable. On the other hand, during the cultivation of hemp, the CO2 that gets sequestered is much greater than the CO2 emitted during the production of clothes. And as for the dying process, most companies who make hemp clothing are already environmentally conscious and only use environmentally friendly dyes. Furthermore, hemp doesn’t use nearly as much land as cotton does when it’s grown and doesn’t need too much water. Cotton needs 50% more water than hemp when it’s grown and even more during processing. So, companies who produce hemp clothing are saving land, water and are greatly reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

How is it disposed?

According to statistics, the average american throws away 65 pounds of clothing per year, when we consider the rest of the world it gets a bit mind boggling. And considering that it’s rare that municipalities are disposing of these fabrics in an environmentally friendly way, it results in an environmental catastrophe. The worst by far is he disposal of synthetic fibers. When these types of clothes end up in landfills, they will stay there for about 300 years before finally decomposing. As for clothes made from cotton, they are made from a natural and biodegradable material, but the chemicals used in the process of production can be extremely hazardous to the Earth. Hemp on the other hand is produced without the use of any chemicals and dyed (mostly) in a natural way, so there is little danger for the environment. And since it’s a natural fiber, it needs only a few months to decompose.

What do hemp clothes feel like?

Apart from being great for the environment, they’re great for you as well. Clothes made from hemp feel soft and comfortable on the skin while being extremely durable at the same time and can be worn for years. They are also resistant to mildew, mold and microbes, which makes it almost impossible to destroy the fabric with normal use. To top it all off, it’s very breathable and has excellent insulation properties and even UV protection. These clothes will keep you warm in the winter and cool during the summer while also protecting you from potentially dangerous UV rays. The benefits are clear to see, the only question is why are we not using hemp to make most of our clothes? At Isodiol we believe this is the future of clothing.