OUR BIG LOVE, HEMP

We at Free Prisoner often work with our favorite fabric: hemp. It is one of the most sustainable options out there! Our hemp is grown, spun and woven in Romania (EU). Hemp grows fast, has hardly any natural enemies and does not need much water, unlike conventional cotton. Therefore, the hemp plant can be cultivated almost anywhere without using herbicides or insecticides. The European Mediterranean hemp plant can reach 2.5-4.5 meters in height within 130-150 days. This is much higher than other hemp varieties. While the male plant is used for the production of textiles, the female plant can be used recreationally. Another characteristic of Mediterranean hemp is its high fiber quality. 

Furthermore, hemp is one of the strongest natural fibers available. It feels comfortable, has effective anti-bacterial and UV-resistant properties and is 100% biodegradable. Hemp fiber contains almost no air and has relatively low insulating properties, so it always feels cool to te touch. Hemp absorbs a large amount of moisture and releases it easily to the outside air.

According to the EU website, hemp cultivation benefits the environment in several ways:

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• Hemp is a champion at CO2 storage. One hectare of hemp sequesters 9-15 tons of CO2, just as much as a young forest. But hemp only takes five months to grow.

• Hemp helps to break the cycle of plant diseases when used in crop rotation

• Hemp helps prevent soil erosion and reduces water loss

• Hemp contributes to a greater biodiversity

• Hemp can be grown with little or no use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.

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In the future, hemp could play an important role in the textile industry. The European Commission has drawn up an action plan for a circular economy, in which the textile sector is seen as crucial. This includes making textile production more sustainable and making the European textile industry more competitive. In other words, the European textile industry must soon be able to compete again with those in other parts of the world, including Asia. And it has to be sustainable, so using natural fibers that are produced in Europe. Hemp as a raw material is well suited to this end, as it can be grown in Europe. In short, hemp is an important player in a 'renewed' textile industry.

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COTTON 

Organic cotton fabrics are produced eco-friendly and are also skin-friendly. This includes the dyeing of this fabric, the GOTS standard forbids dyes that are known to be allergene. The organic cotton was grown in the Turkish districts near the Aegean Sea (so called Aegean cotton). Turkey has a large cotton industry and the cotton was spun and knitted there in GOTS-certified factories, thus limiting the carbon footprint.
 

Free Prisoner's cotton fabrics are GOTS certified. In the field of organic textiles, GOTS is the leading standard. Fabrics bearing the GOTS label represent the ultimate in ecological and sustainable production. It assures us that the cotton from which this textile is made is organically grown, without using insecticides or pesticides. In addition, it assures us that the most ecologically and socially responsible methods have been used throughout the entire production process. Among other things, this means:

• No GMO

• No harmful chemicals

• No child labour

• No dyes or inks that have been classified as allergenic

 

To find more information, click here: GOTS-CERTIFICATE.

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Any questions? We would love to answer them. Get in touch via

Freeprisoner.aw@gmail.com