Bioplastics And Hemp Utensils With GreenTek Packaging

Speaker 0 00:00:00 I'm Matt balm. And this is the ministry of hemp podcast brought to you by ministry of hemp.com. America's leading advocate for him and Hampton Speaker 0 00:00:17 In the show. We're going to talk about hemp plastics. And what are we really talking about? When we talk about hemp plastic? Let's be honest. We're talking about garbage because plastic makes up not only the bulk of our garbage that we throw away, but it also sticks around longer than just about anything we throw away. And today on the show, I'm going to talk to a guy named Jordan Hinshaw. He's a CEO of Greentech plastics and he is working on incorporating hemp, plastic into some very simple every day things that we use, single use plastics that containers and utensils. It's an awesome conversation. And this is the kind of guy that's really going to change things. And I'm so excited for you to hear from him. But before we get into that, I want to let you know that we are once again partnered with canvas 1839, they're centered out of Austin, Texas they're buddies of ours, and they are a fantastic CBD brand. Speaker 0 00:01:13 You guys are constantly hitting us up and asking us, who can I trust? Who should I buy from? Canvas is one of those companies that is doing it right? And we are super proud to partner with them later on the show. I'm going to tell you how you can get 15% off your first order from canvas relief.com. Huge, thanks to canvas for partnering with us before we get into the interview real quick, a lot of people have been contacting both the site and me asking about pre-rolls about smokable hemp, and we've got a fantastic article [email protected] right now. And it's all about the companies that are doing it right from growing their hemp, to drying it, to putting it into their pre roll. So you know exactly what you're getting and exactly what it's supposed to be doing. Now, we're not going to tell you that smoking is healthier. Speaker 0 00:02:00 There's no dangerous the smoking. Yes. If you're inhaling smoke, you're doing something that is not great for your lungs, but if you're doing it in limited amounts, to help with pain, appetite, anxiety, things that CBD really can help. There are very quick benefits to smoking hemp, but if you are going to smoke him, of course, we want you to do it with caution and in moderation, all the link to this article in the show notes for this episode, I've tried a few myself and I have to say, I really liked smokable hemp, but again, only in moderation. Speaker 0 00:02:40 My conversation today is with Jordan Hinshaw. He's the CEO of green tech packaging, and Jordan is awesome. Agile here. He came up in the cannabis industry and saw a real chance for him to become a plastic substitute that could literally change the world. Green tech is a manufacturing company out of the South Bay in long beach. They emphasize community improvement and sustainable economics. You're going to hear him talk about responsibility before profit and I cannot stress how important and cool their mission is. This is my conversation with Jordan Hinshaw of Greentech packaging Jordan, before we get into it, why don't you tell me what makes a guy like you decide, Hey, I want to open a company that not only is dealing with him in a time where it's still pretty wild West and scary, but I want to take on the plastics company and show people that we can make the same stuff out of him. Where did this come from? How does this start? Speaker 2 00:03:43 Yeah, no, I mean, it was kind of organic, um, you know, no pun intended. Uh, the idea was, uh, floating around in the, uh, you know, in, in long beach and in the cannabis space for some time that, uh, uh, you have all this raw material that's not being used and new advances in technology. So, um, you know, I just wanted to be part of that, uh, the forefront of that push and, um, you know, saw it as a purpose over, uh, uh, profits, uh, you know, coming out of, um, you know, my previous career where I was, you know, well on well-paid for what I was doing and enjoyed it, but, uh, just didn't feel like I was like making an impact in the larger, uh, you know, industrial way. So, uh, luckily I had the background of, um, you know, in engineering, uh, you know, I was at Cal poly alumni, uh, where I studied mechanical engineering and, and, uh, Cal state East Bay alumni, where I was, uh, doing industrial engineering, uh, studies in off seasons in, in the, in the, uh, on their quarter system before that evaporated. So, um, you know, I just, I felt like a, it was kind of a, a nexus point for my skillsets and my interests. Speaker 0 00:04:47 So what drew you specifically to the cannabis? I mean, were you working in that like a mean because cannabis obviously has been legal in California for quite a while, or did you just notice like, Hey, there's a real, there's a real business here and a real opportunity that people aren't seizing on? Was it just that simple? Speaker 2 00:05:05 A bit of both. Um, so I've been well integrated. I mean, like you said, California has been legal for some time in the cannabis space and, um, you know, I, myself am a member of the LA long beach collective association, uh, or at least as is our company. Um, and, uh, you know, had done some work with, uh, I mean, I mean, I've, I've kind of worked through the supply chain of, of cannabis a bit, um, you know, more on the logistics side fulfillment, um, and even down to, uh, you know, uh, being able to go to the fields and see how they operate and, and do that side of the business since I was, I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm 30 now, so it's, uh, about a decade ago and that kind of started so, wow. Um, you know, it, it was just kinda the tinkling of, uh, uh, you know, of someone who's interested in that space and understands and respects that, um, you know, it's more than just a, um, psychoactives and, and, uh, you know, times there's, there's, you know, actual industry and, uh, innovation going on. So Speaker 3 00:06:05 About green tech, you guys, how did it start? I mean, right now you're moving into the utensils, which is what I found, how I found you. I saw a press release and was like, this is freaking amazing and exactly the kind of stuff we need to be doing with him. You know, how did green tech get started? Like, what was the first products? Speaker 2 00:06:24 So the first products were all based on packaging for the cannabis industry. We were prototyping a ton of, uh, containers that had, um, you know, a balance of like rigid aspects with the, with the base and some elastomers that were going to make them airtight and try to offer something that was, uh, industrially compostable, uh, and made from plant based matter. Uh, we recording some rather large, uh, you know, pre-roll companies and, um, you know, like flower companies that were doing units at the 50 or a hundred thousand per month, where we would justify some custom, um, materials that were a bit over, you know, in the luxury range of pricing, but we're, you know, environmentally much more, uh, beneficial, Speaker 3 00:07:09 Get a statement, definitely if you're going to do, if you're gonna grow this stuff right. And you're gonna talk about how important it is to farm it and do it the right way. You may as well package it the right way too. Speaker 2 00:07:18 Right? Exactly. And that's all feedback from the, from the consumer base, you know what I mean? That's all based on how people in general are moving in that direction and the companies don't want to be too far behind it. So they're trying to, you know, match solutions with, uh, with top, with revenue, you know, so Speaker 3 00:07:35 What was the most difficult part, like when you guys started this and you decided, okay, we want to move into hemp, plastics and whatnot. We call it hemp plastics, but there's no petroleum minute. What was the hardest part in developing that kind of, that kind of stuff. And also getting it to the consumer, who's going to buy it and package their stuff. When I say the consumer, the companies, was it difficult to sell them on the idea that like, Hey, this is going to be a little more expensive, but look, it does the same job. And not just that you can throw this away and not feel guilty about it was that all it took to sell them on it. Speaker 2 00:08:07 Right. So, uh, I mean, yeah, if you were able to make it as concise and well put as you did. Absolutely. Um, it's a, it's a massive Speaker 3 00:08:15 Hiring. Let me know. I mean, this sounds cool, Speaker 2 00:08:20 Very well done, right? Um, no, it was a massive undertaking, uh, an, a supply chain management challenge where, you know, you got new infrastructures, new machinery that's being placed around the nation, um, farmers that are just getting into their, uh, their swing of things in terms of production and specifics, um, of how it comes out. And so it's working with those groups, collectively working with our understanding our own capabilities, to be able to offer pricing that is measurable to the, uh, value add in their operations. Right. I mean, it, we've had some swings and misses for sure. We've had some really big players that came to us and asked us to work with them. And then kind of got an idea of where the pricing was. And it was like, well, we're going to hold off a little bit longer, but we've also had a lot of smaller businesses that are much closer to their consumer that are much more quick to say, we understand the intrinsic value of what you're doing here, because the externalities of us continue to make plastics are outweighing the small pennies that we're saving by using. Speaker 3 00:09:26 Absolutely. Let me ask you, when you said you had like some bigger companies that came in and they looked at the pricing, and obviously they're going off of bottle, you know, bottom line in a case like that. Is it just a matter of the, of catching up technology wise to bring that price down? Or is it a matter of more people growing him? Is it a matter of more processing, better processing? Like what do you think pushes that price point down to a point where you can say something like, Hey McDonald's or Hey, Walmart, you know, like, don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of health, food stores and the whole foods and whatnot, but they're not going to change the world at the price point. They're selling food at we're going to change the world by getting this stuff and frigging Walmart, you know, what do you see as the biggest hurdle to get in that price down? What do you think? Speaker 2 00:10:15 Right. So I think it's a, it's mainly the second by comparison of those aspects. Um, you know, scale really is, is a huge thing. And you have to walk that up. You can't, I mean, it's speculative to guess that everything is going to go perfectly well when you go from selling a hundred thousand units to a hundred million units. And so there's a brick by brick aspect of building the industry where, you know, you want traction to grow in an organic manner, to a point where you can be confident to say, Hey, look, McDonald's we have this, uh, you know, proven process here. Um, delivering at this scale would allow us to be price competitive within 10 or 20%, um, you know, and have them say, yay, we see the work you've done. You know, we, we, uh, we believe in that enough to, you know, invest and make that switch over without having to deal with all of the kinks and issues that any expanding business would deal with. Speaker 2 00:11:11 On the other side, I mean, yes, supplies, uh, you know, there's actually a, a glut of a material right now. I mean, I think last year, industrial hemp acreage increased to about 125,000 acres in the nation up from, you know, in the tens of thousands, few years back. And, um, in 60, 60 plus percent of that didn't have scheduled offtake. So you've got a lot of material out there. That's, that's going to actually push down the price the more that you use. Um, but you just need to be, uh, organized supply chain wise, where your processing is, is, you know, within range where you're doing it, and you're able to coordinate all the pricing so that you can, you can that, you know, Hey, McDonald's, you will have it, as we say, it will be, you know, for example. Speaker 3 00:11:58 So let me, let me ask you, as far as like I was, I was reading the press, you guys have coming out, and it sounds like this utensil thing, people are pretty excited about this. I thought it was cool as hell, but take me through it. We don't have to do like the hardcore science or anything, but take me through the process, like the hemp comes in and it ends up as plastic. How does that work like that? That just sounds nuts. Speaker 2 00:12:21 Yeah, pretty cool stuff. Um, so essentially, anytime you work with the, the, the stocks of the plant that lignocellulose, um, you have an opportunity to extract the sugars from it, which, you know, build the starches. And, um, in that process, you're creating the same polymers that are used in petroleum plastic. It's when they make it from, you know, uh, oil or in a large amount of cases, uh, natural gas and so Speaker 3 00:12:46 Same polymers, like no difference. Speaker 2 00:12:49 I mean, there are some, there are differences, depending on the formulation that you use. I mean, you know, there's mixes of sugar, cane of cornstarch, of different materials that have different properties, and they tend to, not that you tend to trade off between, um, you know, sturdiness or, or, or toughly versus flexibility, which is, uh, I've been a pretty big a challenge for a lot of, uh, a lot of our products where, you know, the more hemp fiber you have in it, um, the, the more, the stronger and lighter weight it is by density, but oftentimes it doesn't have that type of like pop-top capability that people are often used to. Speaker 3 00:13:29 So basically do you, you use, you're not using the leads, you're using the stems and you're coordinating them if you will. Speaker 2 00:13:36 <inaudible>, that's the word, if you type in the word, it will never, it will always have a little red squiggly underneath it. Yeah. Speaker 3 00:13:44 Yeah. I haven't practiced saying it. I still got it wrong. That's great. But from that point, it comes in as like little pellets, basically that you're turning it into and then those pellets are, you literally like melting them into forms from there. Speaker 2 00:13:59 Right. So, so that's the process whether by injection or extrusion, uh, in some cases, some, uh, some compression molding, a Derma for forming, um, to heat it to, you know, 190 degrees to 110 to a hundred, 240 and, um, you know, press it into, uh, extremely heavy tooling. And in some cases, you know, 1400 pound steel item that, you know, is, is water cooled around it, so that it wants, it goes in. It's able to pop out as a, as the perfect shape of what you made it Speaker 3 00:14:31 Just like you would with plastic basically, but nobody. Yeah, Speaker 2 00:14:33 Yeah, yeah. Very, yeah. Very similar process. Yeah, absolutely. The only difference obviously is in, in, um, processing temperatures and, uh, you know, uh, cycle times and aspects that have to do with the, how the material wears on the tooling. And, you know, so it, it's not as transferable where, you know, in a lot of cases, um, you know, the material dictates how you actually build the tooling. Um, ours are unique to these types of materials. So let me ask you like differences Speaker 3 00:15:00 Between this hemp, plastic and petroleum plastics. Is it a matter of like strength or Speaker 0 00:15:09 Transparency? Like what are the major differences? Are there pros, cons and let, and let's just say Speaker 3 00:15:15 The ecology side out of it for a minute and just discuss like raw pros and cons of stability, what it looks like, you know, stuff like that. Speaker 2 00:15:24 Right. So the material we've been working with has a really natural color to it. Um, you know, that natural hemp Brown and so transparent, uh, items have not been, we've not been able to, to achieve that aspect. Um, but you can always add color additives that are nontoxic, if you so choose to make it a, you know, black or Brown or blue, whatever other colors that are optional Speaker 3 00:15:48 Fear is not really an option yet. Speaker 2 00:15:50 Not in him. Um, you know, obviously the bio, the biomass itself, uh, has that natural tinge. And so you're, you're, you'd be hard pressed to try to make that, uh, Speaker 3 00:16:00 Screen, right. What are you gonna do? Speaker 2 00:16:03 Exactly. Yeah. But luckily it's a, I mean, we've been, it's a nice, a hazelnut color. We've been Hazel, not him. So it's kind of got a nice, uh, you know, visual aesthetic to it. So we're not too ashamed of that. Speaker 0 00:16:17 Let's take a quick break to talk about our partner this week, canvas 1839 centered out of Austin, Texas, which also happens to be the de facto home of ministry of hemp cause kit lives there. Canvas strives to make products with the highest efficacy based on proprietary science with the help of their chief science officer and Stanford grad. Dr. Kyle hammer is pioneering work in nanoscale biology canvas currently offers a relief oil that is crafted with Colorado. Broan full spectrum, hemp extract, grown under organic practices to support your wellbeing in mind and body. Each one ounce bottle contains 300 milligrams of CBD, which is 10 milligrams per dropper. Now they send me a bottle and I have to say, normally, 10 milligrams of CBD isn't enough for me, but I've really been enjoying it. I've been taking the relief oil in the mornings, my coffee, and I feel like it brings me in for kind of a soft landing as I get to work, I'm focused and I'm awake, but the canvas relief oil keeps me from my usual add morning coffee rush. Speaker 0 00:17:23 And it's actually helped with some of the aches and pains that I've been dealing with. Since I started boxing training. Again, they also offer a luxurious relief cream that is specifically formulated for optimal transdermal, penetration and absorption, which means when you rub it on your skin, it actually goes into your skin. It leaves a very clean skin field with no residue whatsoever. There's 500 milligrams of CBD in each two ounce. My wife, who was an aerobics instructor and owned the gym has been using it. And she loves it. It's become a part of her post-workout shower. Regime. Canvas is a company that is just doing it right. And that's why we're proud to partner with them. They know their farmers, they have third party lab results readily available. And right now you can get 15% off your order just for being a listener to this show, had to canvas relief.com and use the code friend 15, and you get 15% off your purchase. I would recommend their starter pack that features the two products. They sent me the relief oil and the relief cream, and both are fantastic. That's friend 15, all one word. And of course I will have a link to canvas relief.com in the show notes for this episode. Now back to the show, Speaker 2 00:18:39 Um, besides that, um, you know, obviously the heat implications, uh, depending on, on product thickness, um, you know, it's designed to allow heat and bacteria to eat away at it, right? So, um, while it holds up on a show just fine for years, um, you know, if you do apply it to, you know, higher pressure, higher, uh, heat set environments, it's going to start to soften and, uh, in a way that, um, actually no other plastic really does. Um, we did, we, we did some testing on some basic corn plastics and, uh, they tend to break at a certain temperature, brutal, brutal, whereas, uh, the hymn plastic, actually, it doesn't get brittle. It gets like really elastic. It's really flexible really. And with the, you know, yeah. And so we were, we were testing it out, we dumped it, uh, you know, boiling waters for a period of time. And, um, all we had to do was, um, dip it back in cold water and it solidified right back into the shade and we were able to bang it against the, uh, table. It was really interesting. That's cool. Speaker 0 00:19:40 I think has a difference in like sugar content of the corn versus like the hemp basically. Speaker 2 00:19:46 Yeah. The, the content of the hemp itself. I mean the nature of fibers, um, just their resilience, um, kind of lends towards that more flexibility under pressure rather than just snapping overall. Sure. So what about Speaker 0 00:19:59 Strength of the product itself? How does that compare to like plastic? Is it stronger the same? Not quite as strong? Like what are we talking, Speaker 2 00:20:07 Right. Why is it stronger? So, I mean, there's, there's evidence there since the forties where they were doing or, you know, afford, if you've ever heard that experience. I was screaming, it was putting it in his car and his car, right. Taking hammers. That's not, that's actually still been going on. I mean, I believe Mercedes, if not BMW has a line of, uh, of, uh, doors, you know, they're, they're lining, that's not a carbon fiber fiber. And so, yeah, Speaker 0 00:20:32 I just interviewed those guys actually a couple of weeks ago. So Speaker 2 00:20:36 Very nice. Yeah. So, so, you know, essentially Stripe is never a trade off. You're actually really increasing your density. So, um, compared to most have the exact same weight, you're going to have a stronger product for certain. Um, the only the, the larger, the main differences are more chemical based where, you know, there's a lot of, um, compatible lasers, additives, and, and such that they add that, you know, often have these toxins and stuff, but without getting too much into it, that can affect a temperature and barrier properties where they're able to resist more costs that can buy your lunch at the break room. Right. Speaker 3 00:21:16 This is stuff that you want to disappear when you throw it away, you don't want it to stick around forever. Speaker 2 00:21:21 Exactly. Speaker 3 00:21:23 Temperature, like, so, I mean, obviously plastic burns at a certain temperature and it gives off all kinds of costs, fumes and stuff. What about hemp plastic? Does it burn the same? Like what happens when you apply fire to it? Speaker 2 00:21:37 Right. So, yeah, like you said, with petroleum plastics, and it's a great question. Um, they do emit a lot of, uh, you know, greenhouse gases as they, as they burn up or, or, or, or break down, um, you know, carbon oxide is released as a process of bringing down most con I mean, that's when they say it's carcinogenic, whatever, um, the, uh, what the hemp itself, uh, is, is, uh, more of a plant is a plant based matter. So it has that, um, or has less of a, of a, uh, negative impact in that way. But that being said, I have not actually set these on fire, on purpose, so Speaker 3 00:22:15 Willing to burn something right now. Speaker 2 00:22:18 Right. That's a great point. Speaker 3 00:22:23 I guess, you know, you start thinking about like the eco, the ecology side, which I want to talk about next. Obviously this stuff isn't meant to be permanent. The idea is this is temporary packaging for a cupcake or your lunch, or, you know, something like that. What's the difference. If I take, let's say a hemp packaging that is, you know, like a bag, for example, and I bury it next to a plastic bag in my backyard, or, or maybe I don't even bury it. I set them outside in my backyard. That plastic bag is going to be different thousands of years. How long, like what happens to this hemp bag? How long does it take to break down? Speaker 2 00:23:00 Right. So, uh, in an anaerobic or in an aerobic environment like that, where, you know, it's just sitting on top of the ground. Hmm. Sorry. Speaker 3 00:23:12 Aerobic, meaning air can get to it more or less. Speaker 2 00:23:14 Right, right, right, right. Um, you're, you're, you're still going to be facing, you know, dozens of years, uh, where the plastic will hang around, because it's actually more about the bacteria and the soil, like the environment itself, that's allowing it to become a food source for the, um, you know, uh, well, I wouldn't say fauna, but for the, um, the, uh, the environment around it. So, um, what's your, what's your really looking for is for, to be able to get back into the, the food chain or the environment of a, of like soil or dirt or in obviously ideally compost, um, you know, but, uh, if it does get into those environments with, uh, you know, ability to, to break down, then you could be as short as six months, how see seed evaporates. So it's crazy the trade off there. Yeah. It's pretty big. And that's why we're really concentrated on, on pushing this element, because we understand that there's a ton of, you know, politicians, a ton of legislation that is looking to solve all these problems of, uh, getting away from, uh, you know, wild classics, but that requires development of these composting centers, uh, circular economies and production of plant based materials. Speaker 3 00:24:31 So I can compost compost in my backyard right now. I can compost this. If you send me something to hemp plastic, I can take it out, eat it, have a nice little meal and then throw the scraps, the vegetable scraps and the bag into my compost and it'll break down. Speaker 2 00:24:47 Yeah. About and about half of all the industrial composting centers, they do that on a pretty regular basis. Um, you know, I think it's kind of important that we try to move away from recycling, uh, as much as possible, not move away from it necessarily, but look to materials that are going to provide some alternatives. Um, you know, just for the obvious reason that, uh, for one, you know, a lot of recycling doesn't get done. And then to, um, you know, these plant based materials actually, uh, are not ideal for recycling. These are designed to be that type of, uh, degradable material. So, um, we've got some different experiments going on right now. And we had to be five, five 11, which is an team, uh, where they're doing it in a, in a BA, like in a backyard compost center. And then there's a few different methods that we're testing out so that we can really get a hard number on exactly how long they'll take. But that's the idea, man. We really want to see a higher quality compost going on. Um, and we want to give them the kind of feedstock that makes that possible. Speaker 3 00:25:50 I'm making a temporary product. Like you said, that we don't have to worry about when you're done with it. You don't have to feel guilty. Speaking of which let's talk about the utensils, you guys have a big thing coming out right now, you just partnered with, uh, British Columbia. So can you name who it is yet, or is it still good to keep it under wraps? Speaker 2 00:26:08 Well, we've already, we've already been under distribution agreement with them, so it's not necessarily a secret, it's a company called follow the leader distribution. They were really adamant about, uh, offering new, uh, eco-friendly solutions for packaging in that, uh, legal cannabis market there and have since expanded. And so we sent, we were, you know, wanting to make sure that we sent them what they needed to, uh, re you know, that market there. I mean, obviously without, um, over, uh, shooting, I'd say that the Canadians are, uh, in, in that advanced awareness state or acceptance state of the challenges of climate change and are constantly looking to invest in find ways to, to bring those to fruition. Um, you know, we've got a number of, of distributors that are spread out and it just, it happens at two of them are in Canada. Um, you know, one there in BC and a new one that we're working on in Toronto. And so, um, it's, it's no secret anything, but, but it, wasn't encouraging to know that, uh, you know, countries from I'm sorry, companies from all around the globe have been reaching out to us to see, you know, Hey, what can we do? Which is just ironic in the sense that, you know, we're here in the, in the, uh, one of the top economies in the world, and these other countries are saying, Hey, you know, Speaker 3 00:27:24 Yeah, we'd like to make fun of Canada. Like there are a little brother, but they typically make us look pretty bad when it comes to stuff like, you know, climate science is sad. Unfortunately. Now tell me about the utensils. Like, how did you develop this? You basically, they're like, it's like a fork and a spork and a spoon, but they're made of hemp plastic and they look, it almost looks like they're made out of wood because of the color you said that they have and straws as well. Hemp straws tell me they're better than paper straws. Cause paper straws. Speaker 2 00:27:55 They're the worst. Absolutely. Yeah. The ham straws that are the big winner. And we're trying to prepare for like a much larger scale, uh, launch because we understand, I mean, there's just so many bars, restaurants, places of business that alternative, I mean, you know, in, in my mom's generation, they were using paper straws, so it's not a revolutionary thing to have them, uh, and nobody liked them then either. So the, uh, the ideas, you know, the bamboo, I go to the store, a M and a, you know, cost plus goods, and they've got bamboo straws that they're selling for a dollar, a unit. Um, you know, we just knew that there was a, there's gotta be a middle ground there between, um, you know, the paper straws, which are doing a good thing and, and, and trying to reduce that, but I'm using him as a feedstock, you know, a material that's not neither a crop food products use me, uh, nor, uh, forestry, uh, further than that paper. Speaker 2 00:28:54 So, uh, you know, we, we've been experimenting with that for the last six weeks and trying to get everything on point to, to, to break that, uh, the hemp straw, uh, out. And, um, that's so far as the, as far as the utensils, I mean, yeah, we just, uh, you know, I've got, I've got a partner who helps with the, with the CAD design and, um, you know, uh, try to engineer it based on material specs. And, uh, then you, you know, you get a large EDM machine out and start cutting steel steps and stages, but, uh, it's been a fun process for sure. Speaker 3 00:29:26 It's like my wife and I, we have, you know, like those metal straws you can buy and that's great. Yeah. You're not throwing away plastic, but you are introducing more metal straws that are also made with gnarly chemicals. They're to be around forever. Whereas like the bamboo straw, like you said, great idea, too expensive. It's just too expensive and bamboo is a million amazing plant, but it doesn't grow as fast as hemp. It's not as cheap and easy to grow, you know? I mean like, Oh, I, the same thing, like with reusable bags and water bottles and stuff like that, it's great. And we should be doing that stuff, but we're also creating an army of bags and water bottles that will be around for the next hundred thousand years, you know? Yeah. So what do you, what do you think the future is for you guys? Where do you go from here? What's next? Speaker 2 00:30:17 Right. So, I mean, you know, it's really interesting that you say that, uh, I think with the reusable bags, they there's some stat, you gotta use them at least 28 times for them to even justify because of the, uh, additional industrial, uh, you know, waste or impact from making them, and a lot of steel, the metals are no different in that way. And so in that, and that's the idea is that, like we, uh, we believe, uh, that, you know, hemp itself is that carbon neutral, uh, solution. So, I mean, obviously a car as it grows, especially purpose grown for fiber, um, it absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than any other, uh, crop, or what you're finding is that by, by growing it, and then using it in manufacturing processes, which often in bio-plastics already have lower emissions, you're, you're, you're striking a, uh, basically a sustainable, um, supply chain. Speaker 2 00:31:16 And so, I mean, that's kinda what we're focused on, right. We're trying to say, listen, it's not just about the, uh, the, the actual bioplastic result and the fact that it's better at the end of life, it's about the entire chain and how we're using our domestic economy, uh, to the, to its fullest, our own agricultural resources to develop products, innovate in those products and become more, um, you know, independent, um, as a, as a nation, uh, you know, uh, creating jobs, all that. So, so that's kind of our focus. I mean, we're, we're, you know, we've got some different pilot programs for, uh, some technology to be developed. That's going to make it as cost competitive as possible. Uh, but we just understand that it's an invigorating, uh, leg up for, for America. So, I mean, that's kind of where we're, Speaker 3 00:32:06 How far away am I from plastic from hemp plastic bags in my grocery store? How, what, what am I talking five years, 15 years? What do you think? Speaker 2 00:32:13 Well, certainly within five years, I think you could see that, uh, I mean, I know there's a, there, there are some groups that are already trying to develop some blown, blown film options with that. Um, you know, again, I think it's going to be a matter of, of whiskey companies buy in, you know, to lack in those kinds of purchase orders and justify those supply chains first. Um, but I think, yeah, within the next five, five years, you're going to see some, some options that are along lines. Uh, if it took 10 and it was a policy problem, it was something to do with our leadership, not invigorating and pushing for these types of things. But, uh, you know, there's some, there's some cool stuff coming down the wire. Speaker 3 00:32:52 That's cool to hear you say that though, because like, just to hear someone that's in the industry say like, yeah, we can do this. And it is going to take a few years, but it's not going to take 10 years. We're learning, we're kicking ass here. And it's more a matter of don't hold us back than it is. You know, we need to come up with brand new technology and you know, this, the future we're talking about, I'm really happy to hear you say that. Let me ask you, what is the one plastic product that you are most excited about replacing with hemp plastics that you think makes the biggest difference in the world? Speaker 2 00:33:26 The biggest difference in the world? Well, let's, let's, let's start from top down. If you look at, you know, 50% of all plastics that are made, those are usually single use. So, I mean, you're, you're, you're really talking about these subscription food boxes, these to go boxes and take out, you know, you're looking at things that are consumed in the pounds per day, per person, that really would impact, uh, the waste. That's gathering up in the middle of the Pacific ocean right now. So, um, I mean, some of the most common ones are our medical containers, uh, you know, um, you know, pharmaceuticals and such that that really could be, could be made from bioplastic materials, um, and are shipping out again all around the world. Uh, and when I, you know, being here in long beach, when I go to the beach, which I love my city, but it's not one of the cleanest beaches Speaker 3 00:34:12 I've been there. I know what you mean. Speaker 2 00:34:15 That's what you find. Speaker 3 00:34:18 I would do it with needles and pill boxes and stuff, you know, Speaker 2 00:34:21 And it doesn't make, it doesn't make me happy, but yeah. So that's, those are, those are some of the things that, you know, I think if, if those were integrated from renewable resources, uh, you'd have a, a real, um, acknowledgeable, uh, impact in the plastic Speaker 3 00:34:38 Making a real change with. And you're absolutely right. It's those, that crap that we don't think about that we use every day, the container for your pills, that container, your lunch came in and stuff like that. I, man, how far off do you think we are from developing a clear plastic? Is that out of the question or is it just a matter of like, Hey, we'll figure it out. It's common. Speaker 2 00:35:00 Yeah. I mean, again, it's just, it's material sources when you're talking about bio-plastics in general, there's a lot of options. I mean, you know, from, from the material for tapioca all the way to, uh, you know, sugar cane and, and obviously, uh, and now they've got some, some mycelium with mushrooms with different options, you know what I mean? Speaker 3 00:35:16 It's really cool too. They're doing a lot of stuff there. Speaker 2 00:35:19 Yeah. We, we, uh, we've been wanting to work with them for some time. They're so overwhelmed with, uh, demand themselves that, uh, uh, you know, you got to go down there and knock on their door, uh, in person I'm sure. Speaker 3 00:35:30 Good problem to have though. That means they're busy. That means they're, they're kicking ass, you know, hopefully Speaker 2 00:35:35 Oh, yeah, yeah. And it's a product that people want and it's, it's a classy product, you know, it's a really nice looking, uh, final product. But, um, but no, my, my point just being that, uh, I mean it, is that technology coming? Yes. Is it something in the immediate future? I don't think so. I mean, if you choose to do it with, uh, some of the older, uh, materials, I mean, obviously bio-plastics have been around for much longer than you'd imagine. Um, there, there are, when you don't involve the hemp itself, um, you can find some, uh, uh, clearer plastics. I mean, I think, uh, a world centric makes some, some clear uh bio-plastics although I'm not sure exactly what their formulation is, uh, in terms of, uh, you know, petrol, corn, whatever the may the balance may be. Speaker 3 00:36:22 You're saying there's no reason why they couldn't be a combination of two things. You have your head plastic thing on the bottom, and then on top, maybe you have a mycelium plastic or some other type of Bioplast. Speaker 2 00:36:30 Exactly. Yeah. And so, again, it's just going from right now. I think 1% of all plastics are, are, are made from bio, um, you know, bio renewable resources. So it's going from that to an increasing margin, increasing part of the market. Uh, where, where are you going to find those type of, of, um, uh, combinations and solutions? You know, I have more prevalent Speaker 3 00:36:52 Because I was a chef for a long time and working in kitchens, clear plastics. I mean, we literally go through tons of that stuff and you gotta see, we gotta be able to see what's in it. So when you're in a hurry, you open it up and there's a bag of labeled that and you can see it's perfectly good. We'll just grab it and go. And when that bag is empty, you can't reuse it because the health code won't even let you, you know, that's against the law. You have to throw that crap away. And every time I did it, it just felt gross. Every time you wrapped something in cling wrap, every time you threw something in a freezer bag, you know, and you thought it out and then you just throw it away. It's perfectly good. It's going to be around for the next 50,000 years, you know, but you can't use it again. And that's the kind of stuff where that's another, that single use, you know, plastics, if we can start to realize that, Speaker 2 00:37:42 And that's what, that's what, you know, the overarching, I mean, retake packaging, obviously we, you know, we focused on the division and manufacturing these products, developing them and provide them to the market. But, um, you know, in reality, it's like planet moves like, well, let's combine those different resources. Like for example, with the cell things, you've got, uh, some, some seaweed aspects there that are moving towards, um, you know, making these thinner, uh, more clear or see-through materials. Those are going to be the type of advances that cover a lot of the more unseen or, or, or low weight, uh, solutions for the bags and the options that you're talking about. Um, I think that that's really where the pendulum is going to need to swing to see those, you know, um, turtle, suffocating items not end up, uh, in, in the disciples. So, um, you, again, I'm not sure to what level or what, what, what advancement specifically is going to turn that tide, but I know that we are a part of the group that's pushing for that. Speaker 2 00:38:45 So certainly so, I mean, obviously it's been a great opportunity to chat with you and, um, you know, I'm, I'm thankful that we did connect, uh, you know, we've been doing a lot in terms of, uh, you know, outreach and, and understanding that, uh, uh, wa while some of the larger companies are going to be challenges to knock the door or knock the door of, uh, it's a, it's a grassroots movement. It's the people behind this that really make this a viable, uh, you know, uh, objective. And so, uh, as far as, you know, plugging us, I I'd say, come reach out. If you guys are interested, if anybody has any, um, you know, uh, custom projects or ideas that they want to see come to fruition, um, you know, we're available, you know, Greentech planet.com and shop him if people wanted to buy some of the products. Speaker 2 00:39:31 Um, but, uh, not where our big, uh, our big push and our big reason for doing businesses is to impact disadvantaged communities. I mean, I, I came from one, um, you know, more side of long beach and, and, um, you know, understand that the waste ends up in these places. I understand that the, the jobs don't go to these places and the community needs help. And so, um, you know, working with that, we've been, you know, uh, there's a lot of, uh, community events that a lot of cleanups, a lot of, uh, food giveaways and, and, and, uh, uh, we were doing some last week that, um, you know, I just really want to be able to connect with the city on an M my team, uh, on, uh, and so, you know, if there's any questions, I I'd definitely be open. Speaker 0 00:40:14 Cool. It sounds like you guys are doing it right, man. I mean, like you're buying American, you're, you're using American hemp, you're repurposing waste hemp to do this stuff. I mean, you're putting jobs in the community. This is the dream, right? This is what it's all about. Let's get one of the dreams. Yeah. Let's get behind this people. Come on. I want to send huge, thanks to Jordan for coming on the show. And I will have links to green tech packaging in the show notes for this episode. So you can check out all the cool things they're doing over there. And like he said, if you have custom Meads and you want to work with him plastic, they are the company to contact now, not to get too political here, but listen to what he was saying about American jobs and working in the community and using American hemp and keeping it all here without any need for petroleum and other gnarly chemicals that are not only bad for the environment, but we even outsourced from other countries. I can't think of anything more American than what is going on in the hemp movement right now with companies like green tech packaging. And I'm just happy they're out there. Speaker 0 00:41:31 That's about it for this episode. But again, I want to thank canvas CBD for partnering with us, and don't forget, go to canvas relief.com, use the code friend 15 for 15% off your purchase and let them know that you want to help them. And you think it's awesome that they're supporting ministry of hemp.com and speaking of supporting ministry of hemp.com, if you like what we're doing here, and you think that hemp can probably change the world, head over to Patrion, backslash ministry of hemp and become a ministry of hemp insider, any amount you give makes you an insider, and it gives you access to early articles, podcast, extras, and all kinds of other stuff. But more than that, it helps us get the good word of hemp out to other people. Also leave us a star rating or a written review on wherever you're listening to podcasts. Speaker 0 00:42:24 This show is available anywhere you can download podcasts and your reviews and star ratings and thumbs up or whatever they have. It really helps put us in front of other listeners, but we don't just do it for listeners either here at the ministry of him, we believe that an accessible world is a better world for everyone. So we have a full written transcript for this episode in the show notes, [email protected]. Speaking of ministry of hemp.com, don't forget to check out our latest article on the best CBD pre-rolls of 2020 that I mentioned in the beginning of the show. And if that's not enough, you can always find us on all our social medias at ministry of hemp, backslash ministry of him. We're always kicking out great links to quality companies, quality news stories, and good old hemp education. All right. Sign for me to get out of here. And I like to end the show the same way every week. I like to say, remember to take care of yourself, take care of others and make good decisions. Will you, this is Matt balm with the ministry of him signing off.