Hemp

The advantages of using hemp are that it grows without artificial fertiliser or pesticides, hardly requires any water to grow and absorbs a huge amount of CO2 whilst doing so, therefore being a carbon negative material.

Hemp can be used as an alterna is being used as an eco-friendly alternative to wood chipboard. It has many other applications such as cladding material, fabric, chair forms, insulation and resin veneers. When combined with a bio-resin or binding agent hemp becomes an incredibly strong product alongside its carbon negative qualities. Many material researchers are using innovative bio-resins such as sugar based resin made entirely from agricultural waste (Margent Farm).

Hempcrete has been developed in the last 20 years as a ‘better-than-zero-carbon’ material which sequesters carbon, even accounting for the production of lime to bind the material, meaning its use will result in active carbon capture. Hempcrete walls also have a much higher thermal performance than many lightweight or synthetic alternatives.

Images:

1) Vepa - hemp chair. Hemp combined with Plantics binding agent

2) Hemp process - Highsociety studio

3) Hemp board - Cecence