Fungi save the world!

Plastic is one of the worst criminals in today’s disfunctional environmental ecology. This malleable polymer is seen everywhere in our daily lives – from the lunch box you take to work, the shower curtain at home, the dashboard of your car or the packaging surrounding your newly bought furniture. The downside is that the oceans of the world are now choked up with it, despite being a wonderful product it also happens to be life threatening. A substance we humans find so useful but which drowns dolphins, clogs up our water courses and desecrates the natural world. It takes centuries for plastic to bio-degrade and this suffocating state of affairs has to be reversed!

Ecovative is an innovative company in New York with a new and exciting bio-technology that has succeeded to create bio-degradeable packaging made from ordinary mushrooms.

By encouraging the rootsystem of mycelium to grow amongst agricultural waste products such as stalks and peel one can guide nature to form itself into packaging material as well as other products – everything from building insulation to surf boards, as well as lampshades and acoustic tiles.

Dell, the computer manufacturer was one of the first companies to use this bio-degradable

packaging for its computers. Now it’s IKEA’s turn. The furniture giant has has been quoted as saying that they are looking at the possibilities of using ”fungi packaging” or MycoFoam as an innovative, environmentally friendly alternative to polystyrene, their current packaging material.

The production of this new mushroomy material requires just 1/8 of the energy of traditional packaging material and CO2 emissions are a mere 10% compared to the traditional plastic alternative. It is an environmental and aesthetic win-win solution for everyone as you throw all your wrapping out into the garden. Perhaps, in a few weeks you’ll have your own champignon cultivation behind the garden shed – and as you consider buying your next ”Billy” shelf from Ikea and enjoy a delicious mushroom stew while you’re there, possibly experiencing the next sales pitch of this particular furniture giant.

Occasionally good ideas simply appear like mushrooms in the meadows.