Mycelium Perfume Packaging

This fungus-based foam is being used instead of expanded polystyrene as an alternative packaging material. It is made by growing fungus on a feedstock of agricultural waste like corn husks, sawdust, hemp or straw. As the root structure of the fungus – the mycelium - grows, it produces a natural polymer (chitin) that binds the waste materials together into this fibrous composite.

The environmental benefits of this plastic-free packaging may seem obvious, but as with all questions of sustainability and materials, this bears careful consideration. Researchers in our UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub are examining the life cycles of plastic materials and their alternatives to assess their relative sustainability, as this goes beyond the mere question of whether the raw materials used are renewable. They compare both materials against each other, taking into account the energy use, water use, toxicity and other environmental impacts of their raw material production, from the drilling of oil for plastics to the fertilisers and land needed for the growth of corn feedstocks. Using a technique called life cycle analysis, they then follow these materials all the way through their journey from production to packaging product to piece of waste. 

A massive benefit to mycelium foam is that it is renewable and can be composted or anaerobically digested at the end of its life, rather than just incinerated. However, its production processes are not without their own environmental impacts, and it is relatively weak when bent or pulled apart, so more mycelium is often needed to perform the same task of protecting perfume bottles in transit. This can result in heavier packaging with greater transport impacts. 

Check out the work of our Plastics Waste Hub team to find out more about how researchers, policy makers and manufacturers are working together to tackle urgent challenges posed by plastic waste.