Environmental and ethical factors lead every decision for Sibling, so naturally when researching materials to use for the jewellery pouches, I was looking for a fabric with more to offer than good durability and a pleasing aesthetic. This research lead me to hemp.
The common misconceptions surrounding hemp, caused by the miseducation of it's relationship with "that Sticky icky icky" has given it a somewhat hazy and negative reputation. In reality, hemp is pretty amazing and can greatly assist Sibling in having a truly positive impact.
What is hemp?
Hemp is a fast growing, herbaceous plant globally renowned for it's robustness, versatility and innumerable environmental benefits. Considered by some as the ultimate natural fibre, hemp has been cultivated for millennia as a source of food, fuel, textiles, building materials and paper. Hemp comes from the Cannabaceae plant family, and whilst it may share it's family with the marijuana plant (Beer Hops too!), it does not share the marijuana plant's psychoactive properties (in other words, you can't get high from hemp), more on that later!
Where does hemp come from?
Believed to have originated in China some 8,000 years ago, hemp went on to spread throughout Asia and Europe. Despite the recent surge in popularity, the crop has actually been farmed in the UK for hundreds of years. (In the 1500's, King Henry VIII made hemp farming a legal requirement for all British farmers. For every 60 acres, they were ordered to grow 1/4 acre of hemp or flax, or face a hefty fine. You could even pay your taxes in hemp!) We nearly lost the plant altogether with the industrialisation and globalisation of oil based products, not to mention the illegal classification of cannabis, we will get to that shortly!
What is hemp used for?
Hemp is unique in that every part of the plant can be processed and used; whilst the stalks can become fine fabrics and industrial textiles, paper and building materials, the leaves are used for animal bedding, and the seeds are used in everything from food to fuel, shampoo to solvents. With an estimated 10,000-50,000 possible uses for hemp, increased awareness and demand for it could allow this plant to become one of humanities greatest allies in tackling the climate crisis.
The resurgence in popularity of hemp can be attributed to an increased awareness of the numerous ecological crises we are facing. Whilst many new hemp based products are entering the market, such as CBD E-Liquids, there are great strides being made in the development of the more traditional uses for hemp; Hempcrete construction material has become widely recognised as the 'better-than-zero-carbon-material' for building (watch Grand Design's Kevin McCloud discuss his fascination with Hempcrete). With new research and development, plastic alternatives and bio-fuels are two other major areas that hemp shows great promise for.
Why should we consider hemp?
A few facts:
It's the strongest natural plant fibre in the world! So much so, that Henry Ford's hemp composite concept car in the 1940's withstood 5 x the impact of it's metal counterparts. This quality gives hemp products such as paper and fabric a much longer lifespan than their more commonly used alternatives.
It absorbs more CO2 annually than any other commercial crop. Hemp is reported to absorb up to 8 x more carbon dioxide than trees (over a comparative area)! It is one of the most effective CO2 offset resources we have.
It's the sustainable paper option. Hemp has been used to make paper for thousands of years, and the environmental benefits far outweigh those of paper from tree wood pulp. For example, for the same amount of paper that a tree would require 4-10 acres of land and 20 years growing time to make, hemp requires just 1 acre of land and 4 months. What's more, paper made from hemp doesn't require harsh chemicals to lighten it (it can be whitened with oxygen, or used in its pure form); over 3,000,000 tonnes of chlorine are dumped into water ways every year due to paper whitening from wood pulp, contributing to what has become known as 'Dead Zones' in our oceans; vast areas of water where no life can survive. Hemp paper can be recycled 8-9 times, where wood pulp paper can only be recycled 3-4 times, and hemp paper can last hundreds of years, where paper from wood pulp lasts only 50 years. Let's leave our beautiful tree's standing!
It leaves the soil healthier than it was when it arrived. Most plants take nutrients from the soil, and don't replenish it as they grow. Hemp bio-remediates contaminated soil, improves the soil structure, increases it's nutrient levels and can lead to a better yield in follow-on crops. These qualities lead to hemp being used to help clean up the nuclear spill in Chernobyl, Russia. Agricultural chemicals are unnecessary when growing hemp, as the plant is highly resistant to pests and dense shade cover from the leaves prevents weeds from growing. Not only is this great for us, as the products we use are cleaner and non-toxic, it's great for the surrounding wildlife.
It's an incredible food source. Hemp is the only plant that contains all essential fatty acids and amino acids required for human bodily functions. It's good for animals too, it even provides a late autumn food source for bees! (I'd recommend doing a little research into the vast number of nutritional benefits hemp has to offer us).
It's recognised as the most sustainable choice for fabric. Hemp is the oldest source known to be used to make fabrics by humans. In more recent history, the first pair of jeans by Levi Strauss were made from Hemp! Hemp has a higher fibre yield than any other agricultural crop, meaning it produces more fibre per area than other plant, such as cotton and flax (linen). Hemp is drought tolerant, meaning little to no water is required for this plant to grow and reach it's maturity in 4-5 months. (The WWF have reported that in excess of 20,000 litres of water are required to grow enough cotton to make the equivalent of one t-shirt and one pair of trousers). This, combined with the fact that no chemicals are required for a highly successful crop yield, makes hemp the clean and green choice for fabrics. What's more, hemp fabrics are hypoallergenic, and non-irritating to skin, antibacterial, breathable, versatile, strong and durable with high resistance to rot and mildew/mold. Whilst you would be forgiven for thinking of hemp clothing as stiff and hippy-like, hemp fabrics actually soften with wear and laundering, many environmentally conscious designers are challenging this perception, and technological advances are constantly improving the variety of hemp textiles available. The Chinese Hemp Alliance have recently showcased very fine hemp fabrics of an unprecedented quality (2017 International Conference on Hemp Industry).
Why have we not been using Hemp all along?
The industrialisation of oil based products, along with the legal classification of cannabis brought about global losses in hemp growing, and it nearly disappeared altogether. One of the biggest and most misunderstood differences between the hemp and marijuana varieties comes down to the THC content of the plants. THC (Tetrahydrocannibol) is the psychoactive chemical in the Cannabaceae plant family. Figures suggest that marijuana can contain between 5-10% THC, enough to give you a high, where the percentage found in hemp ranges between 0.2-1%. The current UK percentage of legally allowed THC in hemp is 0.2%, but the BHA (British Hemp Organisation) are lobbying to increase this to 0.3% or even 1% (as per Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand) to allow for fair global competition in the hemp industry.
Currently in the UK, the whole of the Industrial hemp plant is not designated as an agricultural crop. This means there is strict legislation in place governing the growth of this plant here. In 2019, Hempen, a British hemp farm was forced to destroy its entire hemp crop as it's licence to grow the plant was revoked by the Home Office. The BHA are lobbying for the re-designation of hemp as an agricultural crop.
How does Sibling use Hemp?
Sibling is committed to designing objects using only the finest, most environmentally friendly and ethical materials available. Hemp exceeds this with it's plentiful additional benefits. Hemp farming has the potential to become an enormous, and incredibly positive industry in the UK; another very important reason why I chose to use hemp for Sibling.
Sibling Jewellery pouches are made from repurposed 100% organic hemp fabric, woven almost a full century ago, and unused until now. Sibling has repurposed this beautiful textile to protect and house your jewellery, hand-stitched in-house. The fabric remains in it's natural state, no chemical bleaching or dying has been applied, ensuring each pouch can safely and cleanly biodegrade at the end of it's life.
All Sibling stationary uses 100% Pure Hemp paper and card. With the absence of chemicals in the plant growth, and no chemical bleaching or dying, this stationary can be safely composted once it has served it's purpose, returning the nutrients back to the soil.
The fibrous material used to protect your Sibling order is raw hemp fibre. This is a highly effective material to use as protective packaging, and once it has served it's purpose can be put to further use in your compost bin, or as bird nesting or small animal bedding material. It is a completely natural, fully biodegradable, non-toxic material providing the green alternative to shredded paper, polystyrene chips, and bubble wrap for protecting your goods.
For more information on hemp:
British Hemp Association (BHA) - Formed by a number of Hemp businesses and industry advocates; their mission to 'create and support a vibrant, profitable, and also localised hemp industry in the UK'. The BHA aim to achieve this goal through education and innovation, lobbying for legislation that governs the growth of hemp in the UK to change, and connecting academic institutions and industry with sustainable funding to promote hemp exploration and solve global challenges.
Margent Farm - A Cambridgeshire based hemp Farm, Margent Farm's farmhouse is made from Hempcrete using their first years crop. A line of hemp based wellness products are also currently in development with their in-house Herbalist, The Herball. Due to open in 2020, Margent Farm will house open spaces for the exploration of the vast potential of hemp.
Hemporium UK - A thorough and fascinating online resource developed by Andrew Phoenix, an avid hemp supporter raising awareness of the benefits of hemp for improved health, and business development in the UK.