Become A Hemp Hero
9 November 2009
When it comes to décor, you don’t have to compromise on style or quality, but your
choices can make a difference. Many people think that implementing an environmentally
friendly design will inevitably lead to a compromise in style – but armed with information
on where to source the myriad of sustainable design-led products available in South
Africa, you too can create your own eco chic style. So on to this week’s topic:
hemp….
Hemp is set for a major comeback due to its many environmental benefits – it grows
in plantations with very little or no need for the use of pesticides and is very
fast growing, soaking up to seven times the amount of carbon dioxide as trees would
on the same size of stand. The entire hemp plant can be put to use to create foodstuffs,
fabrics, papers, bodycare products, insulation and oil.
As a fabric it is coarser than cotton in its raw form – similar to linen in appearance
– and a number of designers are mixing it with other fibres, such as silk, to produce
fabulous fabrics. The
House of Hemp in Johannesburg stocks a large range of 100% hemp fabrics,
as well as fabric mixtures of hemp with cotton, silk and linen.
For seriously stylish hemp products visit the luxury brand Sideattraction3 in Kalk
Bay – here you will find beautiful hand beaded curtains and hemp cushions (shown
above). These gorgeous soft furnishings can be ordered by telephone, email or fax
if you don’t live locally.
Textiles are not the only stylish hemp products on the market – take a look at
Hemporium
– one of my favourite shops with branches around the country.
Their clothing may cost a little more, but the price is worth paying when you consider
that wearing a hemp T-shirt instead of a conventionally grown cotton one saves the
planet approximately:
Hemporium at 210 Long Street Cape Town
1 900KJ of energy
0.8m2 of land
2000 litres of water
77 grams of fertilizer
1 gram of toxic pesticides
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