The wide use of Styrofoam presents a number of problems for the environment. It is a petroleum-based material that is not biodegradable. Although it can be recycled, it seldom is. Most Styrofoam winds up in landfills, or even worse, floating in waterways.
An Albany, New York company called Ecovative has developed a novel Styrofoam alternative. It’s called Mushroom Materials. Ecovative’s product is made from agricultural waste and mycelium, the vegetative part of mushrooms. The mycelium acts as a natural glue that holds together plant byproducts like stalks and seed husks.
The end product is Styrofoam-like in its structural and insulating properties. Mushroom Materials are currently being used for packaging things like Dell computer servers, Crate and Barrel bookcases, and PUMA paddleboards. When the packaging material is no longer needed, it can be broken up and used as mulch or composted.
Apart from packaging, Mushroom Materials have promise for use in structural insulation, acoustic tiles and panels, and other uses in buildings. The material is fire resistant and does not produce vapors or odors. Its wide use would result in less plastic and fewer toxins in the home and workplace.
There is much emphasis on reducing our use of fossil fuels for energy – but petroleum plays a major role in many consumer products. With developments like Mushroom Materials, there is hope for really getting off the oil standard.
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Using Shrooms to Solve the Packaging Problem
Photo, taken on September 22, 2012, courtesy of Jane Mitchinson via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.