A new Korean study suggests that hemp hurd, a low-value biomass by-product usually overshadowed by commercial hemp fibres, could become a useful raw material for lower-carbon packaging films and agricultural mulch films.

The research points to a wider packaging trend:

👉 biomass waste is moving from disposal problem to material-engineering opportunity.

Why Hemp Hurd Matters

Hemp hurd is often discarded or underused, but it contains plant-based microfibres that can strengthen biocomposite materials.

Researchers processed hemp hurd through:

• dry milling
• wet milling
• micro-fibrillation

They then tested hemp microfibres in two film systems:

• PLA-based packaging films
• TPS/PBAT-based mulch films

Performance Gains

Adding hemp microfibre improved mechanical strength:

• packaging film tensile strength increased by about 20%
• mulch film tensile strength increased by about 33%

This is important because many bio-based films struggle to match the strength and durability of fossil-based plastics.

Carbon Impact Depends on Processing

The study found that manufacturing choices strongly affect environmental performance.

For example:

• oven drying had lower impact than spray drying
• spray drying required more electricity and coal-based energy
• optimized formulations could reduce emissions by up to 4.25 kg CO₂ per 1 kg of mulch film

End-of-Life Strategy Is Critical

The life cycle assessment showed that disposal method matters.

Among the tested options, anaerobic digestion produced the lowest global warming potential because biogas can be converted into electricity and digestate can be used as soil conditioner.

The study found anaerobic digestion could mitigate around 6.1 kg CO₂ per 1 kg of mulch film compared with current waste practices.

Industry Insight

Hemp hurd-based biocomposites are not only about replacing plastic. Their real value depends on the full system:

biomass sourcing + film formulation + processing energy + end-of-life treatment

If these factors are aligned, hemp-based materials could support lower-carbon packaging and agricultural film production.

Last Updated on 05/05/2026 by Jota Machinery