Could Fungus be the Plastic of the Future?

Could the world’s plastic crisis be saved by a…mushroom? 

Turns out, yes it could!

The groundbreaking Mycelium technology provides a robust, sustainable and lightweight packaging alternative to plastic foams, such as polystyrene, leaving literally not mushroom for old-fashioned plastic packaging (Sorry, we’re so fungi).

‘Myceli-what’, you ask? Well, luckily for you, CuCo’s amazing eco-heroes know all about this exciting new packaging trend – and we’ve even tried and tested it ourselves! 

Here’s what you need to know: 

What is Mycelium? 

Mycelium is the root part of a fungus. It’s actually the largest organism on the planet. 

Pretty cool, right?! It get’s even better – because Mycelium is also nature’s biggest recycler!

The mushroom roots break down toxins, such as plastic or oils (that’s right, it can actually eat plastic!), turning them into nourishment that can help other living organisms thrive. 

A plastic-eating, nutritious superfood? What’s not to like! But thanks to new technology, Mycelium can do even more than that. 

Mycelium technology

So, how does this powerful shroom turn into a sustainable packaging alternative? 

The process starts by upcycling agricultural waste materials, such as corn husks and hemp, that are of no further use to farmers. Then, Mycelium gets to do its thing by breaking down these fibres and binding them together. 

During this process, the fungi creates a thread-like web that can be formed into various types of packaging and offers a sustainable alternative to single-used plastics that is 100% biodegradable and composts in 45 days when added to soil.  

Being light weight, water-resistant and insulating, the opportunities for the use of Mycelium packaging are endless. 

Consisting of only two ingredients, of which one is a waste material, also makes the mushroom packaging a pretty low-cost, sustainable packaging solution. Plus, it’s a gold-certified Cradle-to-Cradle product!

What we think 

And as sustainable packaging experts, we have – of course – already tried and tested this great sustainable packaging innovation ourselves: 

For our eco-conscious client Wild, a high-end producer of sustainable hotel commodities, CuCo recommended mycelium packaging for holding their refillable glass bottles of hotel commodities.

Being a 100% bio-based, compostable material that is also water-resistant, made the fungi packaging the perfect packaging choice for this project. 

The packaging is currently being piloted in various hotels within the Dorset area. 

Both, us and the client, are thrilled with its new innovative and highly sustainable packaging solution.

At CuCo, our mission is to support brands at this time in adapting and thinking ahead to the future. So if you’re interested in speaking to us about eco-friendly packaging and the latest sustainable development, then get in touch today.