Sustainable upcycling of plant-based raw materials: Best reuse of biomass
More and more companies are turning to organic materials because they can be used to create excellent, durable materials that replace many environmentally harmful plastics. Sustainable upcycling of plant-based raw materials such as fruits and vegetables also has the advantage that the production of products such as textiles or packaging materials is often even cheaper. Overall, upcycling of plant-based raw materials is a blessing because it reduces biomass waste and allows the products to degrade completely and naturally.
Sustainable upcycling of plant-based raw materials with Mycelium
Sustainable upcycling of plant-based raw materials like vegetable, fruits but also mushrooms are the future. In mushrooms the filamentous fungi, also known as mycelium, has the best qualities for upcycling and is one of the best raw materials to create any material or product. Lots of everyday items can be made from mushroom fibers, especially for packaging, building materials and textiles.
Like bamboo plants the cultivation is uncomplicated and even a blessing for nature. Mushrooms grow very quickly and are easy to process. This means, packaging materials such as polystyrene, which are made from petroleum and harmful to the environment, can be replaced with truly natural materials.
Most mushrooms form an underground network called Mycelium. It consists of interconnected fibrous cells called hyphae. They spread like a carpet under the earth and allow communication between trees and plants. They feed from organic matter, which they break down to nutrients with special enzymes. They not only absorb these nutrients but also release them into the soil which improves the quality.
Sustainable upcycling of plant-based raw materials: Mycelium Packaging conquer the World
Since 2007 the American manufacturer Ecovative, a company that has long specialized in natural alternative materials, produced mushroom fibers, called MycoComposite. Here the filamentous fungi are fed with organic waste such as oat or buckwheat hulls from regional farms. This process is highly ecological and corresponds to nature’s recycling process. After 5-7 days, the mycelium’s growth is stopped by placing them in drying chambers for two days. The fibers are then harvested and processed.
The company Mushroom® Packaging feed the fungi with hemp stalks, which are the waste products in hemp fabrics. In a process called debarking the fibers are removed from the hemp plants. These spongy hemp stalks are perfect food for the filamentous fungi, which interlink with the hemp fibers into a light fairly strong material. There is another advantage in using hemp: the plant binds more carbon from the atmosphere per hectare than any other crop.
Benefits of Sustainable upcycling of plant-based raw materials with Mycelium
- Rapid growth in seven days
- Fully biodegradable and compostable in 45 days
- Excellent fertilizer for soil and plants
- Fireproof
- Waterproof
- Shock-absorbing
- Carbon-neutral and water-free production
- Sticky, bonds quickly with other organic materials
- Highly insulating, ideal for transporting ice, frozen goods or hot food
- Natural foaming, can be processed into any shape
- Low weight of packaging and materials, save transport/ shipping costs
- Customized design possible
- Enables noble design even for luxury goods packaging
Clever Upcycling: Natural Plastic from Plants
We need strong materials, which are vegan, sustainable and easy to recycle. There are straws made from cane sugar or avocado seeds by the company ECOWARE from India. They also produce plates, cutlery and tablets from plant materials.
