Why are sustainable fashion products so important?
The fashion industry is second behind the petroleum industry as the most pollutive industry in the world, and it’s growing rapidly. Boston Consulting Group reports that the current consumption of textiles globally is 63 million tons a year, and predicts it to grow 63% to 102 million tons by 2030. This is driven by population growth in general, and GDP growth in developed countries that consume fashion products.
What does that matter?
While there are many ingredients used within the fashion industry, the world consumes approximately 25 million tons of cotton per year. If the demand for cotton follows the demand for clothing, then by 2030 the world will need 40 million tons of cotton. That means 15 million additional hectares of land just to grow the cotton.
Think of this. The world will need a land mass roughly the size of Australia just to supply the annual demand for cotton.
Is there an alternative?
Hemp fibers can be used as a substitute for cotton fibers. It takes roughly one hectare of land to grow one ton of harvested cotton. It takes half that to grow one ton of harvested hemp. If you also consider that hemp grows fast and can be harvested two times a year, then it takes one quarter of the land to grow the equivalent of cotton.
It gets better. Not only does hemp need less land to grow the same yield as cotton, it enriches the soil. Hemp is naturally resistant to pests, so it does not require harmful pesticides which leach into the soil and ground water. It grows densely, preventing weeds from growing, thus no harmful weed killers are necessary. This is good news for humans, but also for the bees. On top of all that, hemp has long roots so it helps against ground erosion, and because hemp enriches the soil, it makes an excellent rotation crop.
Using hemp fibers in your fashion products will help the earth, not hurt the earth.
Another amazing fact about hemp is that hemp can grow in soil that has been contaminated with toxins and heavy metals. As it grows is absorbs these and this is called phytoremediation, or using Phyto (plants) to remediate (clean-up). Hemp grown for this purpose can then be used as a bio-fuel, or ethanol.
Hemp is good for the planet, and it’s also good for you!
The benefits to the planet as hemp grows are enormous. In addition to the goodness of hemp growing for the soil, it’s great for the atmosphere too. One ton of harvested hemp removes 1.6 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Once hemp is harvested it can be used for so many things. It can be used to make paper and construction materials which reduces the need to cut down trees. At Bohempia, we are turning hemp plants into shoes and other fashion items, reducing the need for pollutive cotton.
It just gets better and better. Clothing made of hemp will filter harmful UV rays, and hemp is naturally antimicrobial so it adds a layer of protection to your skin. Join the hemp revolution and the crusade against climate change.