The Optimist Daily · 8 hours ago

Researchers Build a Hemp Plastic That Rivals Pet | the Optimist Daily

Scientists have created a plastic from hemp-derived CBD that matches the strength and flexibility of petroleum-based PET while solving problems that stalled every previous bio-based alternative. The material stretches to sixteen times its original length, withstands boiling water, and works with existing manufacturing equipment-achievements that researcher Gregory Sotzing notes are possessed by "very few, if any, plastics made from natural resources." It also replaces BPA, the endocrine disruptor found in conventional polycarbonates, with a compound that performs the same structural role without the health risks. The technical barriers have fallen; what remains is simply planting more hemp, a crop that grows with minimal water and no pesticides across diverse climates, rotating easily with the corn and soybean fields already feeding the world.