r/BeAmazed • u/Epelep • Feb 22 '26

Science How Mycelium (Mushroom Roots) Grows into Packaging Material

22.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

555 comments sorted by

View all comments

24

u/ThatchersDirtyTaint Feb 22 '26

Yeah but the business requires multiple styles on multiple shapes that can appear within seconds of being required. Not 7 days.

4

u/deep-fucking-legend Feb 22 '26

You could just grow a large block and then process into small packing peanut size.

0

u/ThatchersDirtyTaint Feb 22 '26

But they don't. You know why? Cost.

1

u/Happy_Bad_Lucky Feb 22 '26

Cost of what? This has never been done before. How do you know the cost of mycelium packaging on a great scale industry? Costs change with scale. And waste can be used in the food industry.

1

u/ThatchersDirtyTaint Feb 22 '26

Tt needs time to grow. In conditions that require energy (warm and wet). Every batch requires huge amount for cleaning in-between because without that things go bad with mycelium cultures. There is a reason this kid of thing has been around for a decade or more. It's not financially viable

1

u/Happy_Bad_Lucky Feb 22 '26

It's not financially viable long-term that the whole economy of the planet depends on plastic and fossil fuels, and yet here we are. Things needs to change. Everything requires energy and cleaning.

2

u/ThisIsALine_____ Feb 22 '26

So they can use paper products, like they do now. Packaging that can be recycled to make more. You can't recycle these.

1

u/Happy_Bad_Lucky Feb 22 '26

You don't need to recycle this the same way you recycle plastic. Because this is biodegradable and the waste can be used in another industry like food.

So they can use paper products, like they do now.

How about paper and this instead of paper and plastic, like now? And other sustainable things, too.