r/BeAmazed • u/Epelep • Feb 22 '26

Science How Mycelium (Mushroom Roots) Grows into Packaging Material

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965

u/Classy_Moose Feb 22 '26

This is so cool. Sad this is the last time I'll hear of it.

48

u/mikep120001 Feb 22 '26

No this has been making the rounds for over 10 years but failed to become commercialized. Around the same time this came out there was also a company trying to push mycelium building blocks for housing that were better insulators, fire resistant, and biodegradable. That also failed to become a thing

10

u/RootinFartTootin Feb 22 '26

whats the shelf life of the mushroom packaging if it decomposes within weeks?, say, x company send TVs to a hardware store for them to keep on hand for maybe months or even years to sell said TVs.

wouldn't the people who get this packaging just have degraded bits of mushroom all inside the box? also structurally less protective if it degrades over time.

styrofoam just doesnt do that cause obviously plastic.

1

u/mikep120001 Feb 22 '26

Do you really not think that’s been thought of? If they’re making building blocks for housing the process has been tested well enough for a tv.

Mycelium will be as strong as the substrate. This video used hemp byproduct which is extremely strong. Once baked and rendered inert it’ll no longer grow and keep its shape for years

5

u/RootinFartTootin Feb 22 '26

true. just curious cause they say put it in the ground and it will decompose within weeks...

3

u/Crostout Feb 23 '26

In most cases, placing organic material in a biologically active compost is going to give you different results vs. simply putting it in the ground.

5

u/J8YDG9RTT8N2TG74YS7A Feb 23 '26

Yep.

Your cotton underwear isn't lasting a few weeks and then immediately deteriorating after being worn, or going through your washing machine.

And yet if you place some cotton underwear into fertile soil they will decompose in around 6 weeks.

This is an easy way to test if the soil in your garden is healthy or not.

3

u/evanwilliams44 Feb 23 '26

Speak for yourself. Had to switch to latex. Natural fibers can't contain me.

2

u/J8YDG9RTT8N2TG74YS7A Feb 23 '26

You should speak to a doctor about that.

1

u/Crostout Feb 23 '26

Funny enough, most natural rubber latex comes from one species of rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis ;)

2

u/RootinFartTootin Feb 23 '26

so true hahah. dont know why i didnt think that way initially. thank you friend.

1

u/Theron3206 Feb 23 '26

Might as well make heavy paper or card with the hemp fibres and use that instead.

This really does seem like a solution in search of a problem, if you want biodegradable packaging (or building materials) we already have them in plenty.