Plastic foam pollution is rampant in aquaculture, which can be eaten by fish, a major source of ingested microplastics in humans. Nations are beginning to ban Styrofoam in aquaculture, priming the market for a sustainable alternative to the single-use plastic.

Mycelium materials are gaining popularity as an eco-friendly resource with several attributes, including water resistance. Mycelia are less dense than water, leading to the birth of MycoBuoys, a company that grows fungi in a mold fed with hemp, producing a buoy in just five days that lasts five months. This lifespan is significantly shorter than the 3-10 years seen in plastic buoys, but once they begin to degrade, they can be used as fertilizer, unlike the plastic ones that pollute the environment. They can be offered at a similar price to traditional options, and research is being done on protective coatings to further extend their life. Other companies working on mycelium buoys feed their fungi with other materials, such as waste beer hops, a sustainable source for a biodegradable product.

Other mycoproducts are under development as well, including coolers used to ship fish, a project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a $184,000 grant. This gives an alternative to Styrofoam, the most common waste found during cleanups sponsored by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. Another mycelium-based company, GROWN bio, is partnering with a company that ships fish for their large mycelium coolers, which run for $11 and maintain 95% of Styrofoam’s insulation. This cost, about 2-3 times the price of Styrofoam containers, is a huge improvement from the original cost, which stretched to 20 times the traditional plastic option. However, these coolers are also made using hemp, which results in a relatively heavy product. To achieve a lighter product that can insulate better, GROWN bio is looking into cattail as a feedstock instead. 

Although it might take several years for mycelium-based products to take off, they hold immense potential as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. Driving down costs will be the main mission as mycoproducts begin to scale, but support from policy and passionate community members can encourage their adoption in earlier stages, supporting the industry. Even now, companies like GROWN bio sell Grow It Yourself, or GIY kits, that individuals can buy to create their own mycoproducts. Projects like these allow interested individuals to financially support the development of mycelium products and experience growing for themselves. Hopefully, time and funding will propel the mycelium industry, making mycoproducts a norm and phasing out single-use plastics.

It’s really great to see progress with the mycelium industry, as it can reduce waste both during production and decomposition. I didn’t realize how much foam waste is made in the seafood industry, but it’s great to hear that farmers are concerned about it. Progress is so much easier to make when people actually care about it, rather than adopt “eco-friendly” products because of mandates or tax benefits. I know that businesses can’t operate on good vibes and moral confidence, but the actions made by businesses cutting every cost can hurt the world we all share. Responsibility has a price, and it’s just comforting to see that some are willing to pay it.

I was shocked to see GROWN bio mentioned in this article, as I’ve been following them on Instagram for years, since 2020 or 2021. They have less than ten thousand followers and haven’t been posting much recently, so I was concerned about how the company was doing, but based on this news, it’s doing pretty well! Hopefully developments with their mycelium coolers go smoothly and prices drop to competitive rates, because that would be incredible for both the seafood and mycelium industry.

My main concern with any sustainable alternative is cost, which seems to persist in this field, but hopefully scaling will lead to more competitive prices. Growing an industry is never easy, especially when cheaper options exist and are considered normal, but we’re making good progress. Funding given to budding businesses and products is huge for their development, and I think people should pay more attention to organizations and governments that sponsor projects like these. 

Hope you enjoyed learning about these awesome developments! If you did, stay tuned to learn with me!

https://news.mongabay.com/2024/10/startups-replace-plastics-with-mushrooms-in-the-seafood-industry/
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mongabay/ – Mongabay is known for a “high” factual reporting.
GIY kit: https://www.grown.bio/product/giy-kit/#