There are three reasons hemp is compounded into plastics today:

1) Hemp flour (ground up hemp) is less expensive than some of the more traditional fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate, and glass.

2) The hemp plant sequesters carbon monoxide in the soil, making it a negative carbon material.

3) When utilized as hemp fibers, this material can add significant strength and stiffness to polymers.

 

Hemp hurds (the inner core of the plant) are normally compounded into polypropylene plastic and, secondarily, into polyethylene.

Hemp hurds can also be compounded into bioplastics, although pricing and material properties do not always favor this application.

Overall, hemp has been successfully manufactured as a bioplastic, but it is rarely seen or sold in the marketplace. There are several other plant feedstocks that are currently favored for use in bioplastics.

KarMax Plastics sells hemp-filled plastics as well as the hemp flour and fiber. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further.

 

Reprocessed post-consumer glass saves carbon dioxide and conserves resources for the environment. For producers utilizing the product, it improves thru-put and flame retardancy in plastic compounds. Perhaps surprisingly, this additive provides no more wear and tear on machinery than other fillers, such as calcium carbonate or talc.

Recycled glass is approximately 40% lighter than most of the glass fillers in the industry. Using reprocessed consumer glass also produces better dimensional stability and reduces the coefficient of expansion and contraction in plastic pre-cuts as small as gears and as large as decking and siding.

Plastic compounds using reprocessed glass can be 100% recycled.  The product is supplied in white (pictured above) and grey.

Let’s work together to create a future that truly respects and cares for the Earth.