The limiting factor of petroleum-based plastic products is that they take considerably long periods to degrade. Some can take as much as hundreds of years if not more and during that duration, they clog up waterways and inhibit normal processes in water bodies. Hemp on the other hand takes far lesser time to degrade because it is biodegradable. It takes within 3 to 6 months to degrade completely. This means it does not add to the waste that already affects water bodies and it consequently reduces pollution. The biodegradable nature of hemp means that it can only be used for single-use products such as plastic straws. However, this plays its part in reducing the number of plastics that cause pollution in water bodies.