Hemp Housing Going Commercial in Australia

In our March/April issue, we announced that industrial hemp was making a comeback. This biofiber can be made into compression-molded panels for constructing doors, cabinets, furniture, wall partitions and decking.

It’s still illegal to grow the crop in the United States without a permit, but researchers and developers are jumping on the band wagon in Australia, which recently legalized industrial hemp crop growth. Australian researcher Klara Marosszeky is working on developing hemp concrete, a mixture of hemp hurds, lime-based binder, water and sand. The cement-like fiber can be molded into building blocks, sprayed walls, panels and in-fill for new eco-friendly homes. The great thing about hemp is that it is vibrantly renewable. Marosszeky says you can grow enough hemp for a house on approximately two and a half acres in four months.

To read more, visit Treehugger.com.