The plant of Cannabis Sativa L. is a plant with multiple uses. In fact, it can be used in construction as well as in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, even going so far as to revolutionize the culinary and, above all, the textile world. This versatility has meant that, in recent years, it has been hailed as the best environmentally sustainable resource to date.

Especially on the textile side, there have been important developments that have contributed to the highly prized and sought-after hemp fabric, which also has considerable potential in the medical sector and that of related research. In fact, this eco-sustainable fabric with unique antibacterial properties is ideal to use, including for the manufacture of bed sheets, gowns, masks and much more.

In today's article, I would like to tell you how natural hemp fiber, because of its many benefits, can be used in hospitals and medical centers around the world by giving you concrete examples of its use. But before I go into detail about the many possibilities, I would like to emphasize how unsustainable our current medical industry is and how much room for improvement exists in this area.

Health sector and sustainability

In spite of what one may think, the medical field, with its disposable gowns and masks, as well as that of research and development laboratory activities in the same field, manages to accumulate huge amounts of medical waste each year that are not recyclable (in fact, these are hazardous wastes for which there is a special disposal procedure).

In fact, the medical sector is increasingly characterized by the use of other fabrics, so-called viscose, polyester, or polypropylene nonwoven fabrics (TNT), whether for doctors' gowns, sheets, masks, gauze, and other technical textiles [1]. However, in addition to these technical fabrics, cotton has also been present in the medical sector for decades, and compared to these other fabrics, it certainly has a longer life cycle, but not more sustainable.

To better understand the topic, we need to open a small parenthesis. When we talk about sustainability , we do not only refer to that it is better to prefer natural fibers instead of synthetic ones. In fact, in order to reduce the environmental footprint, it is necessary to analyze and study what is involved in the production of a particular natural fiber as well. As mentioned earlier, there is extensive use of cotton in the medical field, but despite its advantages as a sanitary fabric, it must be recognized that its production on the huge plantations that can be found around the world is anything but sustainable. A lot of pesticides are used, fertilizers are used, huge levels of greenhouse gases are emitted, not to mention that not inconsiderable water resources have to be available.

It is, therefore, more than necessary to be alarmed by the high amounts of waste that hospitals produce, especially after years of health emergencies such as those during and post-pandemic that we are currently experiencing.

Thus, the question arises: what can we do to innovate the use and sustainability of textiles in the healthcare world? One innovative and, above all, environmentally friendly fabric that is worth experimenting with in the field in question is definitely hemp fabric.

The uses of textile hemp as a medical weaving material

Considering the growing interest of large companies in the industry in textile hemp, today it would be interesting to assess the opportunities that the healthcare market may offer.

To give you a better idea of the real scope and benefits of this material, on a continuation, I would like to present you with concrete examples of how textile hemp is, or could be, currently being used in medical devices around the world.

Medical masks

Masks have always been more than necessary inside hospitals and private clinics, and since the pandemic, they have also become popular among citizens who use them daily to protect themselves from viruses and bacteria.

Certainly, the most commercialized are the disposable ones, but have you ever wondered how much they pollute? Because to tell the truth, these models end up in non-recyclable waste. Fortunately, there are several Italian companies that, especially with the pandemic, have started to produce textile hemp face masks for healthcare personnel (such as Maeko and InCanapa, to name two). Hemp masks are made with a thin but thick layer of hemp and are comfortable to use on the skin. In fact, the natural fiber used in the production is able to carry on the thermoregulation of the skin so as not to spoil the skin of doctors who wear them for many hours a day.

In addition, medical masks can be washed countless times even at low temperatures, reducing energy consumption without being ruined or stretched as is the case with cotton, which tends to be more elastic.

But what makes textile hemp masks so interesting for the hospital sector are their antibacterial properties. In fact, several researches conducted on the subject, most recently by Khan, B. A. et al (2014, [2]), have confirmed that this fiber kills bacteria on the surface unlike polyester and cotton, which allow harmful microorganisms to survive for months at a time.

Patient sheets and cover sheets

Until recently, it was definitely cotton that led the way in the production of bedding for hospitals and private clinics. In recent years, however, an alternative path has opened up made of disposable synthetic fibers, which certainly in the short term are easier and more immediate to handle, that is, to dispose of in undifferentiated and hazardous waste, but in the long run have a negative impact on our environment.

Today, there is a better solution, namely textile hemp. In fact, this fiber offers many benefits for both our skin and the environment and is naturally antibacterial, as we saw earlier. In addition, it is a very breathable fabric, as hemp is able to absorb the moisture that is produced by the human body during the night or by patients forced to stay in bed for many hours.

In this way, the fabric is able to keep the body at an optimal temperature in both winter and summer, while also preventing the proliferation of harmful bacteria and microorganisms that usually proliferate with moisture.

In addition, it is important to note that sheets made from textile hemp are much stronger than those made from cotton. Effectively, they offer 3 times the level of strength of other natural fibers due to its high cellulose density. This is a not inconsiderable benefit because, despite being washed often, hemp textiles do not get ruined as easily as cotton so you can say goodbye to holes and tears.

Alternative gowns for doctors and surgeons

As in the case of bed sheets, these uniforms are often and often made from cotton or synthetic fibers, even low-quality ones. But with the textile hemp revolution, even scrubs can be green and at the same time of public benefit to health care workers.

In fact, uniforms made from textile hemp, first of all, are very strong and durable. They can be worn for many years and washed even frequently without running the risk of being ruined or punctured.

Staying on the subject of washing, it seems necessary to point out an important aspect of hemp. Unlike cotton, which must be washed at 90° to be sanitized, hemp can be washed even at very low temperatures while keeping its antibacterial properties intact. At the same time, the uniform does not warp given the little lignin it contains, which makes this material a low stretch fabric that does not warp with frequent washing. Not to mention that the fiber does not degrade; in fact, it becomes even softer during use and with washing.

In a nutshell, textile hemp scrubs can last longer, do not have to be replaced often, and therefore an advantage is also present from an economic point of view.

In addition, it cannot be overlooked that hemp has unique temperature regulating properties. As mentioned with bed sheets, scrubs and uniforms made from this natural fiber are also able to withstand high summer temperatures and cold weather during long winter periods to provide skin comfort while wearing this fabric.

Bandages and gauze

At last, textile hemp has been introduced as a biodegradable and environmentally sustainable fabric for the production of bandages and sanitary gauze. Of all companies, it was EcoGauze in 2022 that bet on hemp as a natural fiber for gauze. These next-generation models help heal the skin with a patented hemp fabric that absorbs more and is naturally antibacterial.

Like traditional gauze, hemp gauze is also disposable, but there are many advantages to the material. In fact, this medical bandage is grown 100% organically without using the chemicals or the massive amounts of water that cotton requires.

In addition, hemp gauze is up to 6 times more absorbent than traditional fabrics. This benefit is extremely important during surgical procedures.

From another point of view, the bandage made of hemp is very resistant to tearing and breakage given the dense weave of fibers used in the production of the fabric not to mention that it is also a material that helps the skin to breathe favoring its regeneration and protecting it, therefore, from high or low temperatures that can promote the proliferation of harmful pathogens. [3]

The future is at the doorstep of healthcare with textile hemp

The textile and environmentally sustainable materials production sector has made great strides. Thanks to new technologies and innovations in science, changes are the order of the day.

Eco-sustainability and health safety can finally find application with textile hemp. Certainly the healthcare sector is one of the next big markets that can start using textile hemp. As we have seen, there is interest from companies, and with new investments, new ways of applying hemp as a textile fiber for hospitals and medical centers will also be discovered.

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