Ben Tario
11/17/14
Go Fix It
Plastic packing used for packaging is a material that is utilized by hundreds of different
companies in order to safely transport their products. The main form of packaging goes by the
name polystyrene, or Styrofoam, and is used in packaging and has other uses. The material is
very difficult to recycle and has many negative environmental impacts. A healthy alternative
that can be cost competitive does exist however, and needs to be pushed more and promoted.
This environmentally friendly packaging uses mushroom to grow packaging in molds of
whatever shape is needed. The packaging is completely biodegradable and can even be grown
at home. If this development becomes used worldwide, the negative environmental impacts of
Styrofoam would be nearly eliminated completely.
The company growing this revolutionary packaging describes their product and business
here: http://www.mushroompackaging.com/mushroom-materials/. The mushroom packaging
is made from agricultural waste along with fungal mycelium that is grown in molds of whatever
shape is desired. The agricultural waste is “glued” together by the mycelium during the growth
process which forms a rather strong material that can be used as a very effective Styrofoam
substitute that is functionally and cost competitive. They also are implementing a “grow it at
home” kit that allows consumers to create their own finished products in custom shapes and
densities. Simple steps to building your own mushroom structures after purchasing the kit
include simply: preparing a mold, breaking up the organic material, packing it into the mold,
covering the mold to conserve the moisture, keeping the material around 70 degrees
Fahrenheit while it grows for four to six days, removing it from the mold and then letting it dry
out to stop further growth. The mushroom packaging can also be used as a substitute for foam
materials used in automotive production, insulation; and can even be used as a wood substitute
when compressed under enough heat and pressure to form wooden furniture/frames and even
surf boards. If this product gains more funding and support, and is used more universally, it has
a very real capability of completely replacing plastic-based packaging and other plastic-based
products.
This report: http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html, gives
an overview of some of the negative characteristics of Styrofoam in general. Styrofoam is a
petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer, is light weight and a great insulator.
As the report states, “The biggest environmental health concern associated with polystyrene is
the danger associated with Styrene, the basic building block of polystyrene…About 90,000
workers, including those who make boats, tubs and showers, are potentially exposed to
styrene. Acute health effects are generally irritation of the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory
tract, and gastrointestinal effects. Chronic exposure affects the central nervous system showing
symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue, and weakness, and can cause minor effects
on kidney function and blood”. The health risks to workers are quite extensive; the list of
environmental impacts is lengthy as well. First of all, the products are made from petroleum,
which is not a sustainable resource on its own and is highly toxic. Styrofoam is also very
difficult and costly to recycle, requiring more energy to recycle than to manufacture in the first
place. These packaging products are often disposed improperly in the form of litter and do not
biodegrade at all, making it a choking hazard for animals that also clogs their digestive systems.
Bibliography with Annotations
"Earth Resource Foundation." Earth Resource Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html>.
The main topic of the text is a summary of what polystyrene is and how its uses are detrimental
to human, animal and environmental health. The article also states the difficulties of recycling
polystyrene and how beneficial alternatives to some polystyrene products are to the
environment. Some quotes that capture the critical points of the text include:
“About 90,000 workers, including those who make boats, tubs and showers, are potentially
exposed to styrene. Acute health effects are generally irritation of the skin, eyes, and upper
respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal effects. Chronic exposure affects the central nervous
system showing symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue, and weakness, and can cause
minor effects on kidney function and blood.”
“These products are made with petroleum, a non-sustainable and heavily polluting resource.”
“While the technology for recycling polystyrene is available, the market for recycling is very
small and shrinking. Many Americans are hearing from their curbside recycling agencies that
they will not accept PS goods.”
The points made in this report explain some of the reasons that polystyrene products are
unsustainable in the long run and need to be replaced with something that is sustainable rather
than being made “less bad”. The points explained in the quotes above were utilized in my
writing.
"Mushroom Materials." Ecovative Design. Ecovative Design, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.mushroompackaging.com/mushroom-materials/>.
This is the website made by and representing the company Ecovative Design that makes and
distributes their mushroom-based replacements for petroleum-based foam products. Their
product has already been adapted very smoothly by companies as far as Japan along with
others stated on their website in the news section. The main idea of their website is to
promote and explain their sustainable product. The general idea is conveyed that agricultural
waste is mixed with the mycelium from mushrooms and left alone to grow in molds to
whatever shape is needed. There are many different uses that are expressed on their website
including: mushroom packing, automotive substitutes, insulation, structural bio-composites and
even surf boards. A “grow it yourself” section is also included that allows consumers to
purchase packages of their bio-mix and mold and grow their own structures. Some quotes that
capture the main ideas of their website include:
“Unlike plastics, which come from unsustainable petrochemicals, Mushroom Materials start
with plant-based farm waste and can end up in your garden, fully compostable.”
“Ecovative aims to replace harmful petrochemical based plastics for many uses. We envision a
future where materials aren't drilled and pumped and refined, a future where materials are
grown.”
“GIY means ‘Grow It Yourself’. Through this new program, we’re offering genuine Ecovative
Mushroom Materials to the world, so that you can make your own creations.”
Their website has everything people need to learn about their product and their goals. Brief
descriptions of these ideas are given in the above writing, but much more information can be
gained from their website.
Images
N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pioAWtUQyEASoKJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIybmlmdTIxBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZ
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%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2F1000000-Strong-Against-Plastic-ShoppingBags%2F144868658878382&size=205.5KB&name=revealed+that+a+ban+on+polystyrene+%3Cb%3Efoam%3C%2Fb%3E+%28commonly+called+
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"Total 2009 U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, 243 Million Tons ..." Total 2009 U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, 243 Million Tons ...
N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pN5BWtUYlIA_X.JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIzZTQ4aGRzBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZ
AM0NjIwOGY3MjhmYTljODZmOGFmYzMwYzFkMDk4ZWFmMQRncG9zAzE1BGl0A2Jpbmc?back=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecosia.org%2Fsearch%2Fimages%2Fq%2Fstyrofoam%2Bunsustainable&w=700&h=625&imgurl=inspirationgreen.
com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2FIssues%2FPlastic%2520Packaging%2Fwaste%2520as%2520item.JPG&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inspirationgreen
.com%2Fplastic-packagingwaste.html&size=25.2KB&name=Total+2009+U.S.+municipal+solid+waste+generation%2C+243+million+tons+...&p=styrofoam+unsustainable&
oid=46208f728fa9c86f8afc30c1d098eaf1&fr2=&fr=&tt=Total+2009+U.S.+municipal+solid+waste+generation%2C+243+million+tons+...&b=0&ni
=144&no=15&ts=&vm=r&tab=organic&sigr=11sekv3cd&sigb=11u8celqg&sigi=12jspcs7g&sigt=126vrase5&sign=126vrase5&.crumb=fmVvSFfA6
vY&vm=r&type=en-US__alt__ddc_yhs_ecosia_org&hsimp=yhs-ecosia_03&hspart=ddc>.
Other images are from the bibliography sources