The folks at Ecovative Design have spun out two interesting materials, both of which are made in the same way. According to the company’s website, the two founders “were fascinated by mushrooms growing on wood chips, and observing how the fungal mycelium strongly bonded the wood chips together.”

In other words, they make materials by growing fungus in various types of discarded agricultural waste, such as husks, hulls, and other things that are largely made out of lignin – a complex polymer that gives fibrous strength to plants. The fungus digests the lignin, resulting in a (presumably gooey or wet) mixture which can be poured into a mold and dried out in shapes.

Ecovative currently makes two products: “Greensulate” (for insulation) and “Acorn” (for packaging). The insulation seems somewhat unimpressive. The insulating capacity of a piece of insulation is measured by its R-value. Greensulate has an R-value of 3, as opposed to materials such as polyurethane and polystyrene – which are bad for the environment, but have R-values of around 6 or 7.

And honestly, even if the R-value were higher, I think a lot of people would be skeptical about using an experimental material for insulation. Insulation is really important – it keeps you warm, keeps you cool and, most importantly, keeps your bills low. I’m not sure I’d want to mess around with an experimental new bio-based material.

What I often don’t care about, though, is packaging; especially when I receive items with way more of it than they require. I therefore think that Acorn is a great idea. It’s a great use for otherwise useless waste, and – unlike syrofoam – won’t stay in the ground for a millennium if you throw it away.

Via Green Inc.