Why is Hemp Fabric Better?

Hemp fabric has been used for thousands of years, with clothing found in modern-day Iraq that
was dated to 8,000 BC! There was further discoveries in Europe of Hemp fabric that dated to
about 1,200 BC. Additionally, China has a long history of using hemp fiber as a food, paper,
clothing, and rope material. The re-discovery of hemp has the potential to create a sustainable
textile industry, and have significant impact on how clothes are made and how consumers
browse and purchase.

Hemp Fiber provides significant advantages over alternatives like cotton and linen. It has high
tensile strength, it is abrasion resistant, shearing resistant, provides UV protection, it is anti-
microbial and gets softer over time, making it an extremely practical material.

The global textile industry has set a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2030.
The textile industry is one of many industries to create some sort of net-zero goals, especially in
light of the Paris Agreement and UN SDGs. In 2020, the textile industry was responsible for
6.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the 4th most polluting industry in the world.

There has been significant attention paid to projects focused on recycled materials, organic
materials, and alternative materials. Of these, the solution receiving the most attention and
praise, and rightfully so, is Industrial Hemp. Hemp has seen a major rise in its use in denim
manufacturing, and as processing techniques progress, its applications in a wider variety of end-
materials will be realized.

Currently, Hemp can be grown organically or conventionally, with organic hemp having a higher
price tag. Most farmers opt for conventional hemp fiber as the yields are greater and it is easier
to grow. It should be noted that there are a number of organic hemp certifications such as
GOTS and OEKO-Tex 100, which all provide significant value in end sales.

It should be noted that there are some disadvantages to Hemp Fiber – although these are not
significant and some of them will be solved through innovation. At the moment, the biggest
disadvantage is the cost of hemp clothing – this is due to the cost of processing. As more
companies get involved in the cultivation and processing of fiber, it can be safely assumed that
price will drop. Furthermore, hemp wrinkles more easily than its alternatives, and requires
slightly more care. Finally, it is said that Hemp has a limited color palette, this is true for
unbleached fiber. If using bleached or semi-bleached fiber, vibrant colors can be achieved!
Hemp vs. Other Natural Fabrics
Cotton: It has been said that hemp has the potential to fully replace cotton. The cotton industry
is worth nearly $70 billion dollars and is absolutely crucial to supporting the global $3 trillion
dollar textile industry. Cotton, like hemp is a natural fiber that is cultivated and processed and
has a similar process to achieving the end product, please see below for it’s process.

The largest differences in cotton is in its water and pesticide use. The National Wildlife
Federation has said “cotton is one of the most chemically intensive crop in the world.” It has
significant negative impact on both the environment and human health, and while many look to
‘organic’ cotton as the alternative, conventional and organic hemp are much more promising.
Additionally, the water use of cotton is significant, making this crop extremely unsustainable in
the long-term as global population increases and access to water remains crucial for survival.
The table below shows the difference in water use between cotton and hemp, and it is eye-
opening to see the discrepancy.

Linen:
Linen is made from flax fiber, which is significantly more widely used than Industrial Hemp in
the textile industry, as of 2021. Linen is very similar to hemp fiber, but there are differences
that prove hemp to be a superior material. While both hemp and linen become softer over
time, hemp is said to be the stronger material of the two. Linen also is more prone to wrinkling
and does have a shorter lifespan than Industrial Hemp. It has also been discovered that linen
stretches more than hemp, which could result in apparel losing its shape and becoming
undesirable. One of the most important differences is in the cultivation – hemp produces a
significantly higher yield than compared to flax (linen). Furthermore, flax (linen) has low
phytoremediation properties, meaning it takes nutrients out of the soil. Hemp on the other
hand deposits a rich amount of material into the soil and has the ability to strengthen weak soil.

Wool:
The environmental impact of wool should be fairly obvious. Livestock farms are resource
intensive and typically produce a significant amount of methane which damages our
environment. Wool is also not regenerative and provides little benefit to the environment
compared to hemp. Wool comes from various types of animals, but most commonly sheep, and
it involves sheering and cleaning the wool, meaning it is very easy to harvest and process. Wool
is typically a much thicker material, and is more suited for clothing which is meant to keep you
warm. It should be noted that wool is not a vegan material, while hemp is.

5 Canadian Brands Selling Hemp Textiles:

Nomads Hemp Wear
Effort’s Eco-Essentials
TenTree
Hemp & Company
It’s Only Natural Clothing (i.O.N)