Solving the Plastic Packaging Problem

Ecovative, a New York-based advanced materials company, is actively working on designing the future of sustainable materials with their trademarked Mycelium Biofabrication Platform™. Mycelium is a multicellular organism and, in simple terms, can be shaped into high performance 3D structures that are programmable. They are already creating and prototyping in the fashion/beauty industry, building materials, performance foam materials and packaging.

One of my favorite products they produce is the Mushroom® Material planters made from Mycocomposite™. 

The Mushroom Material planters are made from Mycocomposite™. The substrate is created from agricultural waste (i.e. corn stalks and husks) and is cleaned, then mixed with mycelium. The resulting material is packed into reusable “growth trays”, grown for 6 days and then put into a dryer. I remember when my mom used to buy plants every Spring and each one came in one of those plastic containers. I always thought it was a waste. This product is designed for indoor and outdoor use – and even has a drainage hole in the bottom. When the Mushroom Material planters are broken into pieces and put into soil, they biodegrade in about 60 days. It’s a great plastic-alternative product.

If you know of an innovative product that could potentially help curb our plastics issue, let us know!