Plastic is taking over and our planet is suffering as a result. Cheap, flexible and ubiquitous. Think about the things you love… most of them are probably made of the pervasive polymers. From your makeup products, to your PC controllers even to the aglets on the ends of your shoelaces – it's all plastic. While convenient, widely accessible and immensely useful, our common home is suffocating in the stuff. Even worse, they can take up to centuries to decompose. However, the expanding field of biotechnology proposes a solution. It's mushrooms! More specifically, mycelium from mushrooms. Mycelium technology has been in development and production for the past few years, its purpose, to ameliorate fashion, food and packaging. And get this, it's all 100% compostable.
Through the research of environmentalists, scientists and engineers, it's been found that mushrooms are 'the key' to reversing the effects of the damage we, humans, caused. This is due to the properties of their fungal threads, called hyphae. These are string-like structures that form deep underground networks which spread throughout the soil to provide its host fungus with the fundemnets for survival and function. These intricate networks are called mycelium. The enchanting mushrooms we stroll past in the woods are merely the fruiting body of a behemoth underground organism. It's similar to seeing only a flower but as opposed to its extensive root systems.
While fungi's properties grasp scientists and entrepreneurs, the organism plays a holistic and humungous role on our planet. This magnificent kingdom is a prominent aspect of nature because if it weren't for fungi, nothing would rot. If it weren't for these decomposers, Earth would be drowning in organic matter such as dead plants, animals and other waste materials. Some species of fungi can even break down radioactive waste. Think of something, anything... chances are, there's a species of fungi which enjoys degrading it. Mushrooms have even contributed to medicine. The first penicillin, better known as anti-biotic, was derived from the penicillium fungi in 1928 when discovered by Alexander Fleming. In Eastern medicine practises, mushrooms are the said to be the "elixir of life" with myriad benefits such as preventing neurological disorders, boosting the immune system and supporting the nervous system.
As of today, mycelium, from mushrooms, can be used for construction, packaging, clothing and a vegan meat alternative. The only difference is, it's much better for the environment. All fungi are natural degraders: won't end up in landfill. This innovation was made possible by the founders of Ecovative design, who created mycelium technology. Ecovative, founded in 2007, uses mycelium technology to grow and manufacture durable, lightweight and water-resistant packaging using mycelium. They also have an array of other mushroom-based products such as makeup sponges, sheet masks, leather and mock meat. This invention is already popular among high-street retailers. The universal footwear brand, Adidas made mycelium-based Stan Smiths and the athletic company Lululemon introduced a yoga mat of the same composition, earlier this year.
While mycelium technology is developing, expanding and rising in demand, how is it actually made? Well, the manufacturing process consists of a few simple steps and it's completely cost effective. The first step is purchasing agriculture by-products from local farmers. These are leftovers scraps including husk, the outer coating of seeds; cotton burrs, the unwanted stuff produced from farming cotton such as seeds and stems; hemp and oat hulls. Once a substantial amount of organic waste is collected, it’s fitted into a mould, called an ahem, where it’s sprinkled with mycelium sprouting mushroom spores that thread through the waste, binding it together. During the binding process, the mycelium digests and fastens the waste together, forming white threads in all directions inside the mould making it resistant and shock-proof. Finally, it is heat treated to cease any remaining spores from producing further fungal growth.
Recently, Swedish brand IKEA announced they would quit using Styrofoam and switch to using mycelium-technology instead, to contribute to cleaning the mess we've made on our planet. While Styrofoam is an exceptional material: lightweight, convenient coffee container; durable, perfect for packaging and long-lasting; used in mattresses and sofas, it's impact on the environment is irrevocable, dreadful and its production is accelerating. This single material persists in our environment taking thousands of years to degrade, whereas mushroom based packaging releases 90% fewer carbon emissions and takes roughly 30 days to degrade. Can you get any better than that?
Concluding, we are looking at a future in fungi. Mushroom-based products are a step closer to saving our planet by providing alternatives to the toxic and perpetually polluting plastics that pile up in landfill. Mycelium technology offers a solution to those who can't completely cut out meat from their diet and is starting to enter the sustainable fashion industry. We might not afford to entirely clean up the mess we made...but fungi might.
Some sources I used and recommend to look further into, if your interest is peaked :
Louis Schwartzberg's film - Fantastic Fungi. This completely changed the way I saw mushrooms and better, it's entertaining and everyone involved seems so passionate about nature and making a difference on our planet! It's available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video https://fantasticfungi.com/
Ecovative's website helped me understand what their brand was about and their aims - https://ecovativedesign.com/
Bibliography
Apse, W. (2019, October 7). Owlcation. Retrieved August 2021, from Owlcation: https://owlcation.com/stem/types_of_fungi
Charlotte Packaging. (2017, March 21). Charlotte Packaging Limited. Retrieved September 2021, from https://www.charlottepackaging.com/latest-news/mushroom-packaging-what-is-it/
Ireland, T. (2020, January 13). Science Focus. Retrieved August 2021, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/wild-ideas-in-science-mushrooms-could-save-the-world/
Parker, L. (2018). Here's how much plastic is littering the Earth. National Geographic.
Steffen, A. D. (2019, June 6). Retrieved September 2021, from Intelligent Living: https://www.intelligentliving.co/ikea-mushroom-based-packaging/