How Hemporium brings change to the way people treat the planet
It’s always exciting to find a company with a truly ethical backbone. Hemporium is one that stands out when it comes to walking their talk. Born out of a desire to positively impact the environment and educate the world about the numerous benefits of hemp – for people and the planet – Hemporium remains true to what it stood for since it began in 1996.
October 14, 2021
As founder, Duncan Parker, who comes from a long line of environmentalists says, “Our passion is broader than hemp; it’s about bringing change to the way people treat the planet and hemp is a tool that people can use to do this. Whether you’re building with hemp, wearing it or eating it, hemp enables you to shrink your carbon footprint. We try to be pioneering – ensuring that we have a triple bottom line approach that doesn’t just focus on profit, but on people and our planet in equal measure.”
A sustainable and earth-friendly crop for nutrition, healthcare, building materials and textiles, hemp is a highly versatile plant that’s been used for millennia.
Legislation in South Africa has prevented the cultivation of hemp and while regulations have changed and will continue to change, it’s still not all that viable to grow hemp locally. Since it’s inception, Hemporium has been involved in lobbying for the change, as well as creating trial cultivation projects that have served as important research for the Department of Health and Agriculture. It’s not just about nutrition,either – Director Tony Budden proved another aspect of hemp’s incredible versatility by championing Hemporium’s efforts in successfully building a low carbon-footprint hemp house in Cape Town.
When it comes to textiles, an area that Hemporium’s Managing Director Philippa Mohr is widely knowledgeable and passionate about, the properties of hemp far exceed cotton. It’s three times stronger than cotton and because of its hollow fibre, it has heat regulating properties and is anti-bacterial. It’s also UV resistant. Hemp is considered the earliest plant cultivated for textile fibre – archaeologists have found remnants of hemp cloth in ancient Mesopotamia as far back as 8,000 BC.
Access to such an extraordinary raw material has established Hemporium as South Africa’s largest supplier of organic fabrics. It also drives the people and design-centred aspect of the business.
Hemporium collaborates with designers to create beautiful and sustainable clothing, bags, hats and a range of other textile-based products. Local designers use up about 60% of the raw textiles while the balance is uniquely crafted into Hemporium’s own brand label.
This collaboration enables Hemprorium to bring gorgeous apparel to the world, and importantly, it’s helped spark numerous small manufacturing businesses.
“Hemp becomes a story for the people who work with it. We’ve been blessed to be part of the growth of many businesses and delight in seeing the creativity ignited by hemp’s extraordinary qualities. It’s exciting to be an integral part in creating an environmentally aware industry,” says Philippa.
Hemporium also partners with various manufacturers that provide hemp-based cosmetics, home-ware, nutritional products (from CBD oil and hemp protein to coffee), and accessories in addition to the apparel and textiles. With over 2000 products available, all made within the Cape Town area, Hemporium’s footprint might be seriously local, but their impact is much broader.
For more information, visit their website at www.hemporium.com