Hemp is a natural plant fiber grown from low-impact crops of the plant family Cannabaceae. Beloved for its bast fiber — a soft, woody fiber obtained from the plant stem — hemp can be turned into textiles, rope, clothing, shoes, paper and even biofuel. Hemp is one of the most sustainable, eco-friendly fiber crops out there.
Sustainability is precisely why we chose hemp as one of the main components of our beach towels. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of hemp and how this earth-friendly fiber can help create a better future for us all.
FiveADRIFT hemp beach towels are made from a unique hemp and cotton blend called HempCORE™. Our products are highly absorbent, ultra lightweight, super sustainable and plastic-free. Ready to browse hemp beach towels? Shop FiveADRIFT here.
Hemp Beach Towels: Made and Loomed in Turkey
FiveADRIFT beach towels are proudly made and loomed in Turkey, where hemp was widely used by artisans to produce kilims (a type of rug), area rugs and sacks to dry and store foods until the early 1970s.
Underscored by pressure from the US, strict anti-narcotic laws prompted Turkish authorities to forbid hemp growth in the region around 1974. Today, as the economic potential of industrial hemp growth becomes evident, restrictions have eased. Hemp crops can once again be cultivated legally in Turkey — formerly one of the biggest hemp producers in the world.
While hemp is sometimes confused with varieties of cannabis used to produce marijuana and hashish, it contains very small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the psychoactive component in marijuana that produces a high. As hemp contains only trace amounts of THC, it is grown for non-drug uses.
HempCORE™ by FiveADRIFT
Our plastic-free beach towels are made from a unique blend of hemp with organic and traditional cotton called HempCORE™. Created with advanced spinning technology, our weave maximizes surface exposure for breathability and fast drying.
The HempCORE™ fibers in our eco-friendly beach towels absorb 150% more water and dry three times as fast as traditional towels. That means our towels are better for you and the planet.
The Benefits of Hemp Fiber in Textiles
Synthetic fibers like polyester, acrylic and nylon are all forms of plastic. When items like clothes, shoes, blankets and towels shed fibers, harmful microplastics end up in our environment — especially in our oceans.
The textile industry has long faced criticism for its contributions to climate change and pollution. Making the switch to all-natural, renewable fibers like hemp is a crucial step on the road to saving our planet.
The benefits of hemp include:
– Resilient. Hemp plants are strong and resilient, which negates the need to use toxic pesticides and harmful chemicals while growing crops
– Durable. Strong and durable, hemp fiber is long-lasting and perfect even for heavy-duty, outdoor products like beach towels.
– Antibacterial. Hemp fiber is naturally antibacterial and antifungal, making it a popular choice for medical textiles.
– Provides Oxygenation. One acre of hemp plants can produce same amount of clean oxygen as roughly 25 acres of forest land.
– Highly Efficient. One acre of hemp can produce the same amount of paper as roughly five acres of forest, making it a highly efficient crop.
– Softer with Wear. Much like linen, hemp becomes softer over time and with use.
– Colorfast. Hemp holds up well in heat and resists fading with exposure to sunlight. It’s also highly receptive to fabric dyes.
– UV Resistant. Hemp fabric effectively blocks harmful UV rays, which are known to cause skin cancer.
– Hypoallergenic. Hemp fabric is inherently hypoallergenic, making it suitable for those with sensitive skin.
– Biodegradable. Hemp fiber is 100% biodegradable, which makes its eventual disposal easy on the planet.
– Uses Less Water. Hemp is hardy and easy to grow, requiring only one-third of the amount of water of crops like cotton.
– Phyto-Remediative. Hemp plants can pull nuclear toxins from the soil and can break down and stabilize pollutants through phyto-remediation (in fact, hemp was planted around the nuclear disaster site in Chernobyl to help clean and detoxify polluted areas).
– Easy to Grow. Hemp is technically a weed, which makes it a hardy, low-maintenance and reliable crop that can thrive in a wide range of climate conditions.
– Soil Regenerative. Falling leaves help replace essential nutrients in soil, while hemp plants greatly reduce the effects of runoff and soil erosion.
No matter its intended use, hemp is a sustainability superhero with plenty of ecological benefits. On its own, hemp fabric can be slightly abrasive to the touch, but blending hemp with softer fibers can eliminate this issue. That’s why FiveADRIFT HempCORE™ beach towels blend hemp with organic and traditional cotton, combining maximum comfort with earth-friendly production methods.
Plastic-Free Hemp Beach Towels
The harmful effects of plastic pollution on our environment can no longer be ignored. It is estimated that 8.5 million metric tons of plastic settles on the ocean floor every year. While initiatives exist that produce new products from recycled plastics, we need to do more.
Recycling plastic into new consumer goods helps extend its lifespan, but when textile items like clothes, reusable grocery bags or beach towels are made out of recycled plastic, they shed microfibers that simply continue the harmful plastic cycle.
There is no easy way to remove plastic from our oceans. That’s why it’s not only important to remove plastic from our environment — we have to prevent more from going in.
FiveADRIFT sustainable beach towels are completely plastic-free. We’re incredibly proud of this fact, but we’re committed to taking it even further. Our company donates 100% of our profits to ocean cleanup projects and preventing additional plastic from entering the ocean.
As an organization, we believe in holistic change and sustainability. Our entire team strives to be waste-free, carbon-neutral and single-use plastic-free, with a two-fold mission centering around both cleanup and prevention.
For advice and inspiration on how you can cultivate your own eco-friendly lifestyle, check out our blog post on the journey to zero waste.
Eco-Friendly Beach Towels
Join the green revolution and shop eco-friendly beach towels before you hit the waves this summer. By making sustainable lifestyle choices in all aspects of our lives, we can help heal our planet and encourage others to do the same.
FiveADRIFT is on a mission to remove 1 million pounds of plastic from our oceans in 2022.
Will you join us?
Browse our PLASTIC-FREE BEACH TOWELS and become part of the climate solution today.
Stay up to date and find earth-friendly inspiration when you follow us on Instagram and Facebook. If you have questions about our environmentally friendly beach towels, reach out to our team today. Our planet is worth it.