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IND HEMP and Hempitecture announce the coordinated supply chain partnership for the production and manufacture of natural hemp fibers for Hempitecture’s nonwoven Hempwool® insulation to be grown, processed and manufactured in the western United States. IND HEMP is coordinating genetics, agronomy and contracting production acres of industrial hemp fiber in Montana, Oregon, Washington and now Idaho. The company is the “supply” in the supply chain performing “first touch” decortication processing – the initial separation of raw materials direct from the farm to produce a consistent supply of raw hemp bast fiber at scale. Hempitecture has market proven their Hempwool insulation product for the past few years and is currently in construction of the factory that will make the nonwoven airlaid insulation product 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 empowerment of rural economies and forward-thinking innovation in sustainable materials. We look forward to innovating the building products of the future with IND HEMP’s processed hemp fiber,” shares Hempitecture co-founder and CEO Mattie Mead.
The two companies share values and a strong commitment to sustainability and doing better by the planet. Hemp can capture and remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per acre annually than a forest or other agricultural crops. In addition to the carbon sequestered into the soil while the plant is growing, the plant biomass above the ground is an average of 45% carbon. When the fibers are processed into insulation and built into a home, that CO2 is durably sequestered and locked up into the material, while also offsetting more energy intensive processes and the carbon footprints of existing materials, such as glass fiber insulation. The companies are aligned and working together with other stakeholders to present 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 prize rewards to spur innovation in technologies and products to remove and sequester CO2 from the atmosphere, with modeled plans to scale to a gigaton of CO2 removed annually.
“IND HEMP is dedicated to supporting rural economies and providing sustainable solutions to industry. We are excited about Hempitecture’s products and use of natural fiber in construction materials. This continues to showcase how IND HEMP’s products and sustainability benefits can be adopted successfully across a wide range of applications,” says Trey Riddle, chief strategy officer for IND HEMP.