Talking point
When it comes to sustainability, mushrooms have the potential to transform our lives, from what we eat and wear to the homes we live in and what we throw away, as Ellie Fennell reports
Acluster of mushrooms peeking out from the forest floor doesn’t immediately appear to be a powerful weapon in the fight against global warming. But now it seems we need to look at fungi with fresh eyes.
The World Economic Forum predicted in 2020 that fungi could be the future of sustainability, saying: ‘Easy to grow and fully biodegradable, mycelium – essentially, the vegetative part of a mushroom – could prove to be the ultimate green material for the future. It can be turned into everything from handbags and packaging to even bricks.’
So, what exactly is this relatively unknown organism that might be making your next handbag or hamburger? Mycelium is the root structure of fungi – it’s a branching, underground, web-like substance from which mushrooms develop. Very fast-growing, mycelium can be farmed and guided as it grows to create Earth-friendly alternatives to plastic packaging, textiles, construction materials and factory-farmed food.
Leading mushroom expert Paul Stamets calls fungi ‘the grand recyclers of the planet’. He believes they have great potential for overcoming current environmental challenges, as they both absorb carbon into soil – slowing climate change – and break down toxins, such as plastics or oil, turning them into nourishment within soil. ‘Fungi are keystone species that create ever-thickening layers of soil, which allow future plant and animal generations to flourish,’ says Paul. ‘Without fungi, all ecosystems would fail.’
Meanwhile, wellness brands are rapidly introducing mushroom-powered products into their skincare and supplement ranges, having discovered their many skin-, energy- and health-boosting properties, too. So, if mushrooms and mycelium are being used by everyone from the US Department of State to Gucci to address planetary challenges and produce healthy solutions, just how will fungi be used by us for living in the future?
COMPOSTABLE CONTAINERS
Packaging now makes up one-third of all household waste, much of which is landfill-bound. Mycelium is set to change that, both through aiding the recycling process within soil and as the key component in strong, biodegradable wrapping. Ecovative Design, a New York-based biomaterials company, has developed mycelium packaging that biodegrades completely in just over one month. Directly replacing plastic and polystyrene with a waste-free alternative, it looks like a cross between foam and cardboard.
Ecovative Design co-founder and CEO Eben Bayer explains: ‘With just two ingredients, mycelium and plant fibres, instead of rubbish, they become compost at the end of their natural life – you can break them up and thro
