Textile industry experts generally foresee a very bright future for hemp. One such expert, Susan Barnhardt, founder of SHEMP Yarn Company (SYC), lays out the possibilities, and the hurdles, for hemp within the sustainable textiles market.
Major takeaways:
- There is strong consumer demand for sustainable textiles, and hemp is poised to take full advantage of it.
- Hemp stalk processing will develop with either regionalized or centralized processing centers within 1-3 hours of the grower. These regional processing centers, whether owned by the farmers or a specific entity, will be assured of a contractual supplier market for their crops among manufacturers; and manufacturers will be assured of consistency.
- Better processing methods need to be utilized to minimize fiber damage and maximize fiber quality, such as the patented process developed by Renaissance Fiber, which softens the hemp without damaging the fiber. Traditional methods, like retting, can really damage fiber and totally undercut yield. Plus, not retting actually saves a great deal of time and processing for the farmer.
- Additionally, the less hurd in the raw fiber the better (SYC aims for <5%); and the fiber should be free of other trash (rocks, weeds, metal, root material, etc.).
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