Magic mushrooms: UK innovator commences large-scale production of biodegradable polystyrene alternative

16 Mar 2021 --- UK-based Magic Mushroom Company (MMC) has started a large-scale production of its mushroom-derived home biodegradable packaging, a plastic-free alternative the company says can replace polystyrene. 

According to MMC, the material offers the same performance at a comparable cost as traditional polystyrene and is already being used to protect goods ranging from cookers to cosmetics and a wide variety of everyday consumer products.

The company is set to open three production facilities in Bulgaria, Italy and Germany over the next two years as part of a rapid EU expansion that will provide over six million units annually. 

Paul Gilligan, founder and CEO of MMC, tells PackagingInsights how mushroom-based material can already compete with polystyrene in cost and quality. 

“The product is inert and therefore lasts 20 years in ambient environments. Pound force per square inch (PSI) tensile strength is equal to that of polystyrene.”

Gilligan says the material  can already match the price of polystyrene on bespoke designs and will soon equal that of like-for-like packaging across the board. “We have some efficiency drivers to get us to that point,” he comments. 

MMC’s mycelium packaging is already used by a range of global brands.Mushrooms outgrowing plastics
MMC’s packaging is made from mycelium composite technology, pioneered and patented by US firm Ecovative Design. 

The process takes the post-processing waste from agricultural products such as hemp, hops, corn and timber and combines them with mycelium – the mushroom’s root system. 

This living material is grown to shape using 3D molds of the packaging design. The molds are then baked, which hardens the material and prevents any further growth. 

The full process, from design to prototype, takes just two weeks. 

MMC is already working with a number of iconic brands that are attempting to reduce their environmental impact. Current clients include Lush Cosmetics, Raine Marine, Bodyshop, Seedlip (from the Diageo group) and designer Tom Dixon. 

“We called ourselves the Magical Mushroom company for a reason,” says Gilligan. 

“Mycelium’s unique qualities really are magical, enabling us to produce a hard-wearing, cost-effective and totally sustainable alternative to polystyrene packaging that biodegrades in the back garden in under 40 days.”

Polystyrene concerns
It is unknown how long polystyrene takes to biodegrade, though experts estimate it could take as long as 500 years. The US Department of Health and Human Services added styrene, the chemical found in polystyrene, to its list of materials anticipated to be carcinogenic.

With polystyrene causing immense environmental harm, MMC says finding a commercially viable and practical alternative is essential. 

Packaging produced by MMC is 100 percent biodegradable at home and breaks down in soil within 40 days. It also fully breaks down in the water in just 180 days, meaning it has the long-term potential to reduce the level of plastic waste in the oceans significantly.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050 by weight.

By Louis Gore-Langton

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