IND HEMP and Hempitecture team up to produce hemp insulation for sustainable construction

A IND HEMP and hempitecture announced, in IDEA22- The World's Preeminent Event for Nonwovens and Technical Fabrics, a partnership for the production and manufacture of natural hemp fibers for construction. The goal is for Hempwool® non-woven insulation from Hempitecture to be grown, processed and manufactured by IND HEMP in the western US to pursue the sustainability goals of the two companies.

IND HEMP is coordinating genetics, agronomy and extending its industrial hemp fiber production acreage in Montana, Oregon, Washington and now also in Idaho. The company supplies the supply chain that performs 'first touch' decortication processing – the initial separation of raw materials directly from the farm to consistently deliver raw hemp fiber at scale. Hempitecture has launched its Hempwool® insulation product, referred to in recent years as 'the most sustainable, high-performance insulation material on the planet'. A factory for the production of insulation is currently under construction in Jerome, Idaho.

“Hempitecture's partnership with IND HEMP represents more than just a critical supply chain solution. It represents the restoration of American manufacturing, the strengthening of rural economies and forward-thinking innovation in sustainable materials. We look forward to innovating the construction products of the future with hemp fiber processed by IND HEMP,” said Hempitecture co-founder and CEO Mattie Mead.

“The 2 companies share several values, as well as a strong commitment to sustainability to do better for the planet. Hemp can capture and remove more CO² from the atmosphere per hectare annually than forest or other agricultural crops. In addition to carbon sequestered in the soil while the plant is growing, aboveground plant biomass is an average of 45% carbon. When fibers are processed into insulation and applied to building a house, this CO² is durably sequestered and fixed into the material, while offsetting more energy-intensive processes and the carbon footprints of existing materials, such as insulation from fiberglass”, says the statement.

“IND HEMP is dedicated to supporting rural economies and providing sustainable solutions for the industry. We are excited about Hempitecture's products and the use of natural fiber in building materials. This continues to show how IND HEMP's products and sustainability benefits can be successfully adopted in a wide range of applications,” said Trey Riddle, IND HEMP's director of strategy.

The companies are aligned and working together with other stakeholders to showcase industrial hemp and its use in products to compete in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Challenge, which is funded by the Musk Foundation with $100 million in prizes, to encourage innovation in technologies and products to remove and sequester CO² from the atmosphere.