Alternative Packaging

How many items have you ordered from the internet in the past month? How about the last week? If you’re an average American then you probably order about 5 things or more from the internet each month. The ease of ordering something online and having it shipped to your door is incomparable. It really is just so much easier. But, what about our environmental footprint? We all know our environmental footprint is getting larger and larger each year, but did you know that shipping supplies could be a big part of that?

Of course things like boxes are not that bad! They are actually decomposable, eventually. But, there is a whole new idea where all packaging supplies could be green and eco-friendly. Up to 50% of packaging now is made out of plastics. The plastic inside the box is the issue. There are tiny plastic pieces to prevent things from getting shifted or broken during shipping. The designers at Ecovative Design have been working on mycelium technology since 2010.

Mycelium technology is actually a mushroom-based packaging material! This material would take just a week to completely decompose. The material can be grown in a lab, shipped to protect your product, and then put in your garden or flower bad for nutrients for your flowers or grass. The process is pretty simple, too. They take the agricultural byproduct (environmentally friendly) and press them into the desired shape of the package. Then, the mushrooms spores sprout the mycelium and it quickly spreads throughout the pressing and makes the package durable and shock-resistant. The package is then heat treated to stunt the growth but keep the mycelium intact.

Not convinced? Here are just a few upsides to this innovative product. Number one, it takes hardly any energy at all to create. In fact it is only 12% of the energy needed to produce plastics. It also produces 90% less carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With how alarming global warming is becoming, the economic value is becoming increasingly interested. People realize this is a big issue and things need to start changing. Rural farmers can also benefit by selling their agricultural byproducts to companies to produce mycelium. Farmers can then place these types of mushroom packaging back into their farmland for nutrients. Animals can even ingest the product without harm. It has no nutritional value but at least it is not harmful!