Manufacturers behind Thermocill aim to produce the device entirely from hemp, following recent trials. Currently made from 100% recycled nylon, Thermocill is a simple, energy-saving device that fits under a window board and redirects heat from a radiator to form a curtain of insulating heat inside the glazing. Hemp is a natural product from the cannabis plant, and has been used in building materials for decades.
Early stages of the trial by UK-based material researchers and innovators at the Henry Royce Institute, Greater Manchester, suggest that hemp could be ideal for manufacturing Thermocill. Further tests are currently underway in conjunction with manufacturers of the device, Blackburn-based MGS Technical Plastics.
Keith Rimmer, Thermocill’s award-winning inventor, said: “Providing households with an all-round sustainable solution that has a positive impact on the climate, from both its application and manufacture, has always been the plan. Hemp is clearly going to become more important in the drive for a more sustainable construction industry. In the drive to use less plastic, hemp is the way of the future.
“We believe Thermocill will be the very first hemp-based household energy-saving solution, and is a great example of how ideas and innovations can help save the planet. We’re proud to be playing our part leading the way in more wide-spread application of hemp for a sustainable future.”
According to Thermocill, hemp is easy and quick to grow, and requires very little energy to process. It’s non-toxic, won’t pollute landfills, soil, oceans or waterways, and is stronger than petroleum-based plastic alternatives.
