Hemp Toilet Papers

WHAT IS HEMP TOILET PAPER?

Hemp toilet paper is, as the name implies, toilet paper made out of hemp. The process of turning hemp into toilet paper is pretty straightforward, and a lot less toxic than making conventional toilet paper.

To make hemp toilet paper, after being harvested, hemp cellulose fibers are turned into a pulp. Then any unwanted lignin (the component of hemp, wood, bamboo, etc. that creates the brown color) is removed. The pulp is then flattened and dried into a thin sheet of tissue that can be turned into single, double, or multiple-ply hemp toilet paper rolls.

Trees and bamboo go through a similar process, but since these materials are hardwoods, turning their fiber into pulp for paper often requires extensive chemical processing. But, because of hemp’s fine fibers, hemp tissue paper production is possible with little to no chemical processing.

Plus, with many conventional toilet paper products, to remove lignin, the pulp is bleached using harsh chemicals that can leach chlorine, dioxin, and other toxins into our waterways. But, because of hemp’s chemical composition and morphology, and its generally lower lignin concentration, lignin can be removed through the environmentally friendly processes of oxygen delignification and autohydrolysis

Instead of intensive chemical processing, oxygen delignification uses a combination of sodium carbonate, high temperatures, and high pressure to remove lignin. Autohydrolysis uses the force of high-temperature water to remove lignin.

While hemp toilet paper isn’t super mainstream yet, making paper out of hemp is nothing new. The Chinese were the first to successfully make paper out of hemp over 2,000 years ago. And the history of hemp shows that in the 1700s, American farmers in several colonies were legally required to grow hemp that was used for paper, among other things.

Hemp is such an effective resource for paper, that up until the end of the twentieth century, 75% to 90% of worldwide paper production came from hemp!

 

WHY BUY HEMP TOILET PAPER?

A big reason to buy hemp toilet paper is to offset the high demand for conventional toilet paper, which generates heavy waste.

The average American uses three rolls of toilet paper per week, which might not seem like a lot, but it is. It’s enough to wipe out 270,000 trees a day and have a huge impact on the environment.

Since toilet paper is such a highly demanded and commonly used product, it’s essential to make the switch to a more sustainable option like hemp toilet paper. Hemp toilet paper is more sustainable in all aspects, from growing, to processing, to decomposing.

But reducing the dependency and demand for conventional toilet paper isn’t the only reason to buy hemp toilet paper, there are way more benefits. Read on to find out what they are.