Wasting Away

WASTING AWAY WASTING AWAY

Whilst undergoing research for this project, it became apparent to me that accurate information on our waste is hard to come by.

The way the government and Environment agency provide this information makes it difficult to understand and never paints the whole picture.

Using information gathered from numerous government reports, I’ve attempted to display statistics about our waste in an understandable way. I think the hardest thing to portray is the scale of the problem and so I have made this the main focus of the project.

I also aim to inform people about an alternative fibre that has not been given the recognition it deserves. A fibre that possibly has the potential to solve our waste problems.

WE GENERATE ABOUT 177 MILLION TONNES OF WASTE EVERY YEAR IN ENGLAND ALONE.

THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO THE WEIGHT OF 3,730 TITANICS.

IN 2012 WE SENT 43.9 MILLION TONNES OF WASTE TO LANDFILL SITES.

THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO THE WEIGHT OF 258,235 BLUE WHALES.

IN 2012 WE USED 66.4 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF LAND FOR DISPOSING OF WASTE.

THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO THE SIZE OF 572,304 DOUBLE DECKER BUSES.

IN 2012 THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY PREDICTED WE HAD A REMAINING CAPACITY OF 540,000,000 m続

Recycling is a fantastic way of reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.

However, materials such as plastic and paper can only be recycled a certain number of times, before they end up in landfills.

We need a solution to a problem we are currently just postponing. We need to make use of a material that has been shunned by modern commercial manufacturers.

HEMP

Hemp is one of the many names given to the Cannabis Sativa plant.

Contrary to popular belief, hemp is not the same as marijuana, and actually has very little in common with it. Industrial hemp is grown for its long stalks and contains less than 0.5% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the psychoactive property of marijuana.

Therefore, it is not possible to get “high� from hemp.

Industrial hemp is grown in abundance in many parts of the world and produces the strongest natural fibre known to man.

HEMP PAPER Hemp can be grown in a fraction of the time and space it takes to grow trees.

This makes it an obvious alternative to wood pulp paper.

Paper made from wood pulp can be recycled.

However, it can only be recycled a maximum of 3-6 times. After the maximum recycles of paper, it is then generally disposed of, and the chemicals, though the amounts may be small, are still put into the earth.

Hemp paper, however, is clean, only needs hydrogen peroxide to bleach it if necessary, and is recyclable up to 8 times. After the recycling processes it can safely be disposed of because 1. there are not large amounts of chemicals in it and 2. it is so clean and would be considered a fertilizer.

HEMP PLASTIC

Hemp plastic is a bioplastic made using industrial hemp.

There are many different types of hemp plastic; from standard plastics reinforced with hemp fibres, to a 100% hemp plastic made entirely from the hemp plant. Hemp plastic is recyclable and can be manufactured to be 100% biodegradable. The most common type of hemp plastics are those plastics which infuse hemp fibres. The benefit of infusing hemp fibres lies in that less plastic is used (less oil, less pollution) and a more durable, biodegradable product is created. Sometimes, the oil used in conventional plastics can also be replaced with renewable resource feedstocks including cellulose from hemp, microbially-grown polymers, or those extracted from starch.

Hemp plastic can be five times stiffer and 2.5 times stronger than polypropylene (PP) plastic. It also does not pose the health and safety risks associated with certain plastics that are reinforced with glass fibres. Hemp plastic has the ability of being implemented in standard injection moulding machines with no modifications needed. Current research into this field has produced fireretardant products in UL94 V-0, V-1, and V-2 grades.

HEMP CLOTHING

Hemp is better than cotton in numerous ways. Firstly, cotton requires a lot of pesticides as the plant is very susceptible to pests. Hemp is the opposite, it actually produces it’s own, natural, pest repellent.

Secondly, cotton requires a lot more water, 1400 gallons for every pound produced, in fact. Hemp requires half that amount and can produce 200% - 250% more fibre in the same amount of land, compared to cotton.

Finally, cotton exhausts the soil, forcing farmers to rely heavily on chemical fertilizers.

Hemp is actually good for the soil. Unlike cotton, Hemp’s long roots penetrate up to 6 feet deep, breaking the soil, aerating it and leaving it in perfect condition for the next year’s crop.

RETHINK

It is clear that hemp holds a lot of potential as an alternative fibre. It is even more clear that we are not fully utilizing this yet. Hemp has the potential to severely reduce our impact on the planet, by protecting our forests, our land and our atmosphere.

The targets and guidelines set out by the EU and UK government aren’t sufficient enough to elicit a long term change. These guidelines call on businesses to meet recycling targets, but don’t encourage use of alternative materials.

Materials which are biodegradable once they cannot be recycled anymore.