Reducing plastic production should be one of the goals of all of us who inhabit the Earth. Two brothers from Nebraska, Andrew Bader and Steve Bader, are doing their part in saving the planet from plastic waste, which takes from 20 to 500 years to decompose.
The Bader brothers have started making various products out of plastics infused with hemp fibers using high-tech 3D printers and an injection molding machine, the Star-Herald reported.
“The world is saturated with oil-based plastics. If we can get something that degrades faster in wider use, our world might be greener and our future a lot brighter,” Andrew Bader said.
According to the Baders, using a plant-based and biodegradable form of plastic for their Hemp3D business is about helping the environment; making a fun, marketable product; and creating full-time jobs for them.
Hemp3D primarily produces sunglasses using hemp-infused plastic, with the prototype pair made two years ago. The now company offers 11 models, from those slightly resembling Ray-Bans to those described as a “combination of Elton John, Johnny Depp, and Harry Potter.”
“They’re bio-based and made in Nebraska,” Joe Naumann, the Baders’ cousin and marketing director said.
In addition to sunglasses, the company is also manufacturing some custom orders such as hemp plastic keychains with required logos, as well as hemp chess sets, can openers, earrings, display boxes and guitar picks, among other items.
“It is as much art and fashion as it is a manufacturing company,” Andrew Bader said.
Growing Hemp For Fibers Instead Of CBD
In Nebraska, the home state where brothers run their company, there are currently 62 licensed hemp growers, up from the first 10 licensed in 2019. In 2021, 886 acres gained permission for cultivating hemp outdoors and some 266,600-square-feet in greenhouses.
Nevertheless, the lack of hemp processing facilities — only two in the state — has affected the growth of the industry. And that’s one of the reasons the purpose of hemp cultivation has shifted from CBD to fibers that can be utilized in construction materials and clothing. Hemp has also seen interest in being used not only as animal and pet feed, but also for making protein-rich, plant-based hamburgers.
As for the Bader brothers, they are planning to rent a facility and expand production. They are also looking for investors to help advance the molds they use to fashion their sunglasses.
“We need to scale up to really get out in all the stores we want to be in,” Andrew Bader said.
Photo: Hemp3D
