Posh Swaps Blog

Hemp is an incredibly versatile plant that can be used to make all sorts of products from clothing and shoes to rope. It can even be used for buildings. The beauty of using hemp as a replacement for a variety of different materials is that it is highly sustainable. Hemp can be grown without the need for pesticides or fertilisers making it a great alternative to cotton. Hemp is also really fast growing as it is a grass, this makes it easily renewable in contrast to timber and wood. The oil from hemp seeds contain amino acids and essential fatty acids making it a great food product but the oil is also used for a huge variety of other industrial products. The oil can even be used as an bio fuel which is a great alternative to non renewable fossil fuels.

The fibre of the hemp plant is also called bast and used to make textiles and paper. The plant typically produces 10% more fibre than either cotton or flax and is strong and quick growing. Textiles made from the hemp plant can be used to make shoes, clothing, sails and carpets. It was widely used for these purposes before the industrial revolution but its popularity then declined due to the availability of other textiles. Hemp clothing is now beginning to become popular again primarily because of sustainability of the plant. Po-zu Ecological Shoes uses hemp as an alternative to leather for manufacturing its ethical and vegan shoes.  

It is hard to imagine but the strength from the hemp plant can be harnessed and used to strengthen buildings. Hempcrete, as it is known is made by mixing hemp hurds and lime. It is less brittle than concrete and therefore is more resistant to cracking reducing the need for expansion joints. Hemp has also been used in other composite materials for construction. The use of hemp in this way is really just in its infancy stage with it mostly being used for prototypes.

Hemp can also be used to make the composite panels for cars. The hemp bast fibre is mixed with fibreglass for a strong material

 As well as it many other uses hemp oil, which is obtained from the fruit of the hemp plant, can be taken as a dietary supplement and has been shown to relieve the symptoms of eczema. It also has anti inflammatory properties and can be used for medical purposes.

The hemp plant is also very useful for ecological reasons. It can be used to clean waste water removing impurities like sewage. It can remove excess phosphorus from chicken effluent or other chemicals. It has even been used to clear contaminents after the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.  The density and height that the hemp plant can grow to make it ideal for weed control. It minimises the pool of weed seeds i n the soil and is particularly useful for controlling tough weeds, helping to reduce the use of herbicides.

With its sustainability and many different uses, hemp could well be one of the crops of the future providing a partial solution to a number of environmental issues. There are however some issues surrounding the scale of hemp production which is partially limited by it status as a controlled crop in the US. With time, hopefully the production of hemp will become scalable allowing it to be used more extensively to make these many products.

 Po-Zu aims to set new standards in ethical and ecological footwear manufacture with its range of vegan shoes and natural footwear that are healthy for your feet, safe for all the workers throughout the supply chain, and kind to the environment.

Po-Zu is pleased to announce the launch of its ethical and ecological footwear retail website www.po-zu.com.

The new website now allows customers from all EU countries to buy their Po-Zu shoes direct as well as through the established Po-Zu stockists, including Terra Plana and the Natural Shoe Store in the UK.

Po-Zu is a range of stylish footwear for men and women with an environmental consciousness. They are safe for the people involved in the manufacturing process and their impact on the environment is minimal. Their coconut fibre foot-mattress is not only biodegradable but also provides a uniquely pleasurable walking experience thanks to its springy fibrous structure.

“The beauty of this web store, is that we are able to offer our entire range for the first time under one virtual roof” explains Po-Zu founder Sven Segal. “It’s also about being transparent and accessible. The site has been designed to be as user friendly as possible, and you can easily find our retail store partners there too”.

With extreme hot weather in mind, Po-Zu’s spring-summer line uses sustainable, breathable, and lightweight materials which are kind to our body and the planet. Po-Zu has also expanded its selection of Vegan shoes this season by incorporating organic hemp and cork to over 70% of its entire range.

The cork is produced from the bark of the Cork Oak tree Quecus Suber, which grows
in Portugal where the shoes are produced. The harvesting does not harm the tree and a new layer of cork re-grows, making it a renewable resource. The hemp is organically grown, unbleached, with low-impact dyes, free from heavy metals.

Apart from shoes there are a few accessories on offer like edible shoe cream and coconut shoebox planters. Also, a sweet, short film follows the shoe production route, from the coconut husk in Sri Lanka, through to England and finally Portugal where the shoes are made.

Po-Zu was launched in 2006 by shoe designer Sven Segal with the aim of setting new standards in ecological footwear manufacturing. The shoes are made from carefully-selected natural biodegradable materials, free from harmful chemicals, and organically certified where possible. Harmful glues are avoided by stitching the shoes together, which also makes them more breathable, durable, repairable and recyclable.

The brand’s other goal is to provide maximum comfort and pleasure for the people who wear its shoes, while ensuring the shoes are ethically sourced and manufactured.

Po-Zu’s shoebox was nominated for the UK Green Awards 2006, for best packaging. The biodegradable coconut box can be used as trays to grow seeds. As the plant grows, the entire packaging can placed in the ground where it will decompose and turn into earth.

Following its commitment to produce products that are as non-toxic as possible, Po-Zu launched in 2007 a shoe cream that is so safe it can be eaten. Apart from treating leather, the Edible Shoe Cream is also an all-in-one beauty product that can be used as a lip balm, skin moisturizer, hair conditioner, massage oil and cooking oil. You can even spread it on toast for a nutritious snack.