A New York-based biotech startup Ecovative claims to have found a solution to adequately replace plastic with a material that is found naturally in our surroundings. The company claims that mycelium, the root-like structure of a mushroom can be a natural solution to reduce the problem of plastic waste. The company said that mycelium grows below the mushroom that we are used to see above the ground.

According to the United Nations, more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic since the 1950s has been produced by humans – most of which are discarded as waste and could take centuries to get completely decomposed. Till then it continues to adversely impact the environment and the flora and fauna on land as well as in the oceans.

“[Plastic waste is] literally gumming up the cogs of the ecosystem of planet Earth,” Ecovative’s CEO and co-founder Eben Bayer said in an interview with w TV channel.. “[A natural alternative] can address a lot of our serious problems especially in the category of single-use plastics.”

It has managed to cultivate mycelium into specific shapes and sizes as needed, the company says. Using organic plant waste to inoculate it with mycelium is the method adopted by the company, according to Ecovative. The mycelium binds them together after growing through and around the agricultural materials. The result is a natural alternative to packaging materials hat are typically made from styrofoam. The company said that with the use of minimal water and electricity, the final material can be made in about a week.

The material can be easily broken up and put in the users’ backyard garden after the end of the mycelium substance’s useful life. “So it’s a nutrient, not a pollutant,” Bayer said.

Investors like 3M Company, the conglomerate behind Post-it notes and Scotch tape, have been attracted by the vision of the company as well as a contract from the US Department of Defense worth $9.1 million.

“These sorts of technologies are very exciting,” David S. Hibbett, a professor in the biology department at Clark University, said. “Whether or not they’re cost effective or commercially viable with traditional materials is another matter.”

“The bigger issue here is rethinking our reliance on disposable packaging overall,” said Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist at the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council. Despite this, the work of Ecovative has encouraged Hoover.”But there is also a hunger for more sustainable alternatives and we welcome more sustainable options to hit the market.”

The focus of the company, which started its journey in 2007, is to research and develop teh3 the next generation of materials made from mycelium with the aim of disrupting the animal farming industry by creating plant based alternatives for a wide range of products from vegan leather to plant-based meat.

The plant-based meat business, building industry and medical field  are the areas where the company now sees the future of its product. “[It] really has boundless possibilities,” said Bayer. Mycelium bacon is still in its testing phase.

(Adapted from CNN.com)

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