Viable Fiber

09/16/2023

Selling h**p animal bedding made by The Hurd Life at The Urban Farm with necklaces by Malas of Stone Today from 9 am to 1 pm today. Come down and enjoy music, animals and the beautiful fall weather.

09/14/2023

Trying out h**pcrete insulation using 1” hurd. This formulations uses lime, minerals, water and h**p hurd creating a hard, carbon negative material good for insulation and soundproofing.

08/29/2023

A snap of Bialobrzeskie (also known as B-Lab) in South Dakota. These plants went in a bit late and definitely have some room to grow! This is a dual-purpose variety that has historically been cultivated/known for its high-quality fiber. It was bred by the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants in Poznan, Poland.

08/28/2023

08/26/2023

“h**pcrete binder is composed of 50% hydrated lime (we use Graymont’s Ivory Finish Lime) and 50% Metapor metakaolin from Poraver (created as a by-product of the company’s expanded glass bead production). The metakaolin causes the lime to have a partially hydraulic set, speeding up hardening time and promoting faster drying of the material.

We mix our wall-insulation h**pcrete at a ratio of 1 part chopped h**p hurd by weight, with 1.5 parts of the binder by weight. After translating these weights to volume measurements, it approximates 4 buckets of h**p hurd going into the mixer with 1 bucket of binder (1/2 lime, 1/2 metakaolin).”

Creating locally sourced lime and clay binders for use in h**pcrete, an insulation alternative.

07/24/2023

"New report highlights unique opportunity to build beneficial production systems for fiber h**p. Textile Exchange releases Growing H**p for the Future: A Global Fiber Guide.

The report looks at the production of fiber h**p around the world, identifying its benefits and concerns, providing recommendations to guide fiber h**p programs toward a resilient future.

Since its recent legalization in countries around the world, the global textile industry is increasingly turning to h**p, celebrating the plant’s ability to enhance soil health, support biodiversity, suppress weeds, and increase yields among subsequent crops – all while relying on little or no inputs.

Fiber h**p holds strong sustainability potential, but as it gains popularity, it is vital that we look at how it is grown. This means taking onboard lessons learned from other fiber crops, where heavy synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use have become the norm..." Read more on this week's **p featured article, letstalkh**p.com/growing-h**p-for-the-future!

07/24/2023

“Currently Schneider’s company is selling off super sacks of material, weighing anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds, at $15 per sack. He noted that demand for his h**p compost is very strong, to the point where he has already pre-sold 50 super sacks. “If you were a small-time farmer, you’d kill to buy 300 to 500 pounds of alfalfa for that much,” he added.”

The immediate approach to the h**p waste issue is simply disposal. However, potential markets for extracted biomass are being explored and developed.

06/29/2023

https://www.rtd-denver.com/zerofare

RTD is undergoing an extended project to perform maintenance and repairs along the Southeast Rail Line, south of Broadway Station to Lincoln Station. Changes to schedules, stops and frequencies are expected over the course of this project.

06/29/2023

https://industrytoday.co.uk/market-research-industry-today/industrial-h**p-market-set-to-reach-usd-5862-billion-by-2032-fueled-by-surging-demand-and-sustainable-trends #

industrial h**p market size was USD 7.54 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach a value ofUSD 58.62 billion in 2032 and register a revenue CAGR of 25.6% during the forecast period.

06/29/2023

https://h**pgazette.com/news/pfas-h**p-remediation-hg1988/

Researchers at Northern Michigan University are delving into a novel solution to the problem of soil contamination with PFAS: h**p.

06/28/2023

Alabama's new immigration law aims to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will "self-deport."

05/24/2023

05/20/2023

Viable Fiber participated in the NextCycle Pitch Competition last Tuesday and we were proud of our performance among several smart and hard working company founders. This event was culmination of 5 months of classes, consulting and learning entrepreneurship. We look forward to working together to promote sustainable manufacturing and a strong circular economy in Colorado. **p

05/14/2023

Viable Fiber will be competing in this year’s pitch competition.

Feel free to check us out in Boulder at eTown Hall on Tuesday May 16th and learn about our plan to upcycle h**p and cannabis fiber creating a more circular economy that fosters growth, manufacturing and a cleaner environment.

Ten NextCycle Colorado teams will present innovative ideas to improve recycling and composting end markets in front of a live audience.

05/09/2023

Surprising facts about cannabis from Fundación Canna

03/11/2023

In Great Falls, Montana with our friends at Ag Processing Solutions checking out some larger equipment for h**p and cannabis fiber processing. We are liking their set-up.

We had a great time discussing the future of h**p, end products ranging from building materials to h**p composites and Chinese spy balloons.

02/25/2023

Also, check out these bowl-shaped roofs that collect rainwater while cooling your house: https://returntonow.net/2019/06/22/bowl-shaped-roofs-collect-rainwater-and-cool-house/

02/24/2023

Eco-friendly Cat Litter made from h**p! It offers superior urine odor absorption. It's 5x lighter weight than traditional clay or silica. It's sustainable, natural, safe and compostable. Cat's love it and it's a great option for kitten training. Try a bag and let us know what you think. **p **pproducts https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNQP8DD4

02/24/2023

​Weekly recycling is here! Now is better than ever to brush up on your recycling skills with our Waste Sorting Game 🎮 If you’re not a pro just yet, that’s okay. We’re here to help!
Find more resources at: www.denvergov.org/trash

02/23/2023

H**p vs Cotton

02/23/2023

Check out what PETCARERX has to say about choosing a safe, healthy litter for your cat and family. Natural, and biodegradable is best! If you've ever thought about switching to a natural, safe, biodegradable litter, give our Eco-friendly H**p Cat Litter a try and see how your cat likes it. It does a superior job absorbing urine odor and is flushable and compostable helping reduce your waste. It's also about 5x lighter than clay, so you won't throw your back out carrying it around.

Learn about the different types of cat litter available. Also, learn about why cats need litter in the first place.

02/05/2023

Trying out some **p animal bedding to test it’s absorbance and a bee came out to inspect it with me.

01/30/2023

Our Eco-friendly Cat Litter is now available on Amazon Prime for $18 a bag! That's a month's supply of natural, biodegradable, non-toxic, sustainable litter. **p
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNQP8DD4

01/29/2023

‘Salmon, a polymer scientist at Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, is working on breaking down the cellulose from discarded textiles and reusing it. Many clothing fabrics are a blend of half polyester and half cotton—individual fibres of cotton and polyester are twisted tightly around one another, creating a yarn that is then woven or knitted into a garment. Taking that structure apart mechanically is challenging, so instead Salmon treats it with cellulases, a group of enzymes that break up the cellulose. “We can chew it up into small enough molecules and fragments that it will actually fall out of the rest of the fabric structure,” Salmon says.’

Vast amounts of textiles end up in landfill. Technology to recycle the cellulose in fabric could make clothing more sustainable.