Mushrooms are the new plastics, just ask anyone at Ecovative. To be fair, the company is a little biased—it’s in the mushroom business. Since 2007, the company has been developing a method to replace harmful plastics with a mushroom-based substance. This sustainable foam-like material, made from agricultural waste and mycelium (the root part of the mushroom) has been used to build bricks, grow lamp shades and replace polluting packaging. Now you can grow your own application.
The company just released the beta version of its Grow It Yourself kit ($14.99), which comes with everything you need to make your own mushroom material creation. This includes a bag of dehydrated mushroom material, flour, gloves, a molding tool and an incubator bag. When you get the kit in the mail, you simply add a bit of water and flour (for nutrients) to the dehydrated material, and it springs back to life. Give it a couple days, and the mycelium spreads throughout the agricultural byproduct, turning into a fluffy white material you can shape using molds and tools.
via Wired
Image: ECOVATIVE
