People once hailed the 1907 innovation of synthetic plastic as a solution to a wide range of problems. However, it has now become an unmanageable problem in and of itself. Fortunately, we do not need any technological innovation to counter it. The hemp plant offers a ready solution.
Hemp fiber can produce a non-toxic and fully biodegradable substitute for plastic. Natural plastic derived from the cellulose fibers in plants has been in use since much before the current petrochemical-based synthetic plastic was invented.
Henry Ford produced the first
bio-plastic Model T Ford in 1941 using hemp plastic panels. This plastic was 10 times stronger than steel in withstanding the impact of a hit without denting.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, the follow-up to the Cayman GT4 racer, features composite doors that use an organic fiber mix derived largely from #hemp and flax. Porsche says the material is similar in weight and stiffness to a traditional carbon fiber composites and that the organic ingredients used are agricultural by-products, making it more environmentally friendly.