Global warming as a result of climate change has become a major concern for people all over the world. It has recently drawn the attention of the entire conscious community, with the fear that if not addressed properly, it will result in the extinction of numerous species around the world. At the same time, it will pose a threat to human health, food security, living environment and standard of living. Thereby, possible solutions are being explored accordingly; regulations have been imposed in places binding green production practices, limiting the emission of CO 2 and emphasis is given on renewable resources along with the search for alternatives to carbon-positive materials. Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) has received a lot of attention because of its multipurpose usability, short production cycle, low capital demand in cultivation, possibility of carbon-negative transformation and easy carbon sequestering material. This paper reviews hemp as a very promising renewable resource including its potential uses in paper, textiles, composites, biofuel, and food industry.

At present, environmental sustainability is a big concern due to the limited resources and the adverse impacts of petroleum-based materials. Green composites (GCs) attracted intensive research interest for the last few decades from academicians, scientists, researchers, and practitioners both from the ecological and economic point of view and are presently being considered as one of the most promising research domains. Composites produced from renewable and/or natural resources thanks to their biodegradability and sustainability properties are envisaged as the next-generation materials to meet the growing demand worldwide. GCs are intensively investigated due to their multifunctional properties and utilization in a wide variety of fields including automobile, marine, aerospace, structural and infrastructural applications, packaging, electronics industry, sports, and biomedical applications. They also show potentials to replace the expensive as well as non-degradable petroleum-based composites. After the shelf life, it can be disposed of easily without harming the environment. The processing techniques, properties, and applications of green composites are comprehensively assessed in this review article. The feasibility of the naturally available fiber and polymers for green composites are also discussed highlighting the existing challenges with possible suggestions. It was intended to present a full overview of biodegradable polymer composites reinforced with natural fiber, as well as the necessary future directions for the concerned researchers.

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