Mushrooms to produce a new material replacing the plastic

A mushroom-based material to replace the polystyrene.

An American company, Ecovative LLC, has launched a new material that can replace polystyrene. This new material is safe, requires little energy, completely biodegradable after use. As it is based on mushrooms, the components are produced from a mushrooms.

The company Ecovative takes agricultural waste (corn, cotton ...), add water and nutrients and mycelium (vegetative part of mushrooms). Then, this mixture is placed in molds (in the form of the desired product) and the molds are placed for 4 days in the darkness. During this period, the mycelium grows on its nutritious elements and develops. Finally, out of the darkness, the "material" is heat-treated to stop the growth of the mycelium.

Result: material similar to polystyrene, without its harmfulness, and can be used for many times. The company Dell is among the first customers of this new material, for the packaging of its computers.

source : clean tec republic com, ecovative design com