100% Hemp Diaper, Grown & Sewn in USA
That’s my fantasy diaper. At the moment, it can’t happen legally. Our article on the fuss about hemp explains the basics of the issue, including the reason we don’t currently produce hemp diapers. Thanks to H.R.3037, a 100% hemp diaper, grown and sewn in the USA soon may be a reality.
A major step forward for industrial hemp in the U.S. is a bill currently in committee in the House of Representatives. The bill was introduced June 22.
The text of this act is simple. Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005 will exclude “industrial hemp” from the definition of “marihuana,” as the Controlled Substances Act calls it. If this act passes, industrial hemp agriculture is not automatic. This would simply remove the federal prohibition and leave the licensing of hemp production to the states. That is it. Two short paragraphs.
If you are concerned about how fibers function, how cultivation effects the environment, or how domestic production increases chances of social sustainability, I urge you to contact your local representatives and encourage them to support H.R.3037. Vote Hemp makes this very easy to write your representative with sample letters and a zip code click away.
Useful links:
Our hemp resources.
How the microscopic structure of hemp fibers makes them a great choice for diapers.
Global hemp for news, forums, & hemp for sale.
The image above is 100% hemp at 250x magnification, taken with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) by Firefly Diapers’s own diaper scientist, Marc Pehkonen. Copyright 1999-2005 Marc Pehkonen.
Heather Said,
August 12, 2005 @ 7:01 am
Okay, here is one. I thought that 100% hemp diapers made for a scratchier surface. This is one reason why I did not choose to go with a ‘recognized’ flat diaper currently on the market. I was told that it never softened for comfort.
The Boss Said,
August 12, 2005 @ 7:57 am
Whether the hemp diaper is soft enough for a sensitive baby, depends on the hemp source and the processing. It can vary a lot.
It is true that a lot of the hemp commonly used is rough. Even from common sources, though, there is fine hemp linen available that is easily soft enough for a diaper. A friend of mine has an older hemp linen table cloth from Italy that is silky fine. The fabric could make a great diaper (if you could tear her grandmother’s heirloom from her grip).
The hand (feel) of hemp can even depend on the season. When I noticed a big difference between shipments of hemp fabric, I asked one of the bigger U.S. importers why the fabric was rougher. He said that the texture of the finished fabric can even depend on what point in the season it was harvested. The earlier in the harvest, the softer the fibers.
Green business blogger (and Woodstock oral historian) Joel Makower mentioned this week that there is new hemp process under development in Canada that will produce softer, whiter fabric.
That soft, beautiful 100% hemp diaper will happen.
Heather Said,
August 15, 2005 @ 9:39 pm
That soft, beautiful 100% hemp diaper will happen.
Well good … that gives me time to purchase that wonderful hemp linen in bits for my grandchildren.