Mushrooms, the new plastic..

[LunaSea]

In this TED talk, product designer Eben Bayer reveals his recipe for a new, fungus-based packaging material that protects fragile stuff like furniture, plasma screens -- and the environment.
http://www.ted.com/talks/eben_bayer_are_mushrooms_the_new_plastic.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2010-10-05&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email


Eben Bayer co-invented MycoBond, a technology that uses a filamentous fungi to transform agricultural waste products into strong composite materials. Or, as CNN put it: "In non-scientific terms, they grind up seed husks and glue the small pieces together with mushroom root." Their products include packaging and styrofoam substitute and the now-in-development Greensulate rigid insulation board for builders. Both products require less energy to create than synthetics like foam, because they're quite literally grown. Equally compelling, at the end of their useful life, they can be home-composted or even used as garden mulch.

"There are three principles that should govern better materials. Firstly, they should be able to be created almost anywhere on the planet. Secondly, they should require considerably less energy to produce than current materials. Lastly, they should be able to be disposed of by nature's wonderful open-source recycling system."

Eben Bayer

http://www.ted.com/speakers/eben_bayer.html

[OKNancy]

1. Hate to use this worn out phrase, but

Wow, that's cool!

[Tikki]

2. Do you think they could make shopping bags this way or are...

we talking about too thick an end product?



Tikki

[byronius]

3. Off to the greatest.

[ThomCat]

4. That is fantastic! I hope that takes off and becomes a real industry.

:)

[Judi Lynn]

5. Wonderful discovery in every way. Huge step forward. Thanks, LunaSea. n/t

[trotsky]

6. Fantastic development.

When it comes to getting off oil, the energy part was looking easy compared to our reliance on petrochemicals for plastics, etc. This kind of research is just as crucial, if not more.