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Magical Mushroom – Europe's first industrial-scale mycelium packaging producer
- readingnews 7mo agoNot sure if they were the first, or whatever, but this really seems like a breakthrough technology / methodology. How many cardboard boxes do we use a day? The mind boggles. Totally cool stuff.
- adzm 7mo agoThis seems more like a replacement for Styrofoam rather than cardboard boxes, though it could certainly be used in places we already use cardboard inserts. But probably still need a cardboard box on the outside. Thankfully we can grow those too!!
- embedding-shape 7mo ago> This seems more like a replacement for Styrofoam rather than cardboard boxes It seems rigid though, more akin to cardboard than soft styrofoam. I don't see anything about how dampening it is, but from the pictures I also assumed it was more like cardboard than styrofoam. Maybe the color is deceiving me though.
- zdragnar 7mo agohttps://magicalmushroom.com/mushroom-packaging https://magicalmushroom.com/mushroom-packaging Under "Features" it explicitly calls out polystyrene as what it is meant to replace, and under "Performance" they claim to provide for clients "that demand the same technical performance as the polystyrene we replace"
- Tarq0n 7mo agoCardboard is mostly renewable, it's the applications where we combine it with plastic where alternatives are needed.
- ekjhgkejhgk 7mo agoThis isn't different from cardboard. This is made from mushrooms, cardboard is made from trees. The real problem is plastics.
- rithdmc 7mo agoDell have been using mycelium packaging for a while now - 2014 maybe? created in the US. Very interested to see this space go.
- ndespres 7mo agoDell (and IKEA, and others) source from Ecovative who have been working on this for a while: https://ecovative.com/ https://ecovative.com/
- microflash 7mo agoNice, thanks for the link. Somehow, this weekend I’ve gone into the rabbit hole of mycelium packaging, a completely new and interesting topic for me. Need to check this out before my fascination wears off.
- elil17 7mo agoI don't think this is better for the environment than cardboard (if anything it is probably worse as a direct replacement for cardboard because cardboard already has a robust recycling supplychain). Rather, it is a replacement for plastic foam.
- zdragnar 7mo agohttps://magicalmushroom.com/mushroom-packaging https://magicalmushroom.com/mushroom-packaging Under Features, it lists polystyrene products as what it replaces, not cardboard.
- 8-prime 7mo agoLooks really cool, though I don't know if the name is conducive to business. With just the URL I would not have clicked to see that the business is about.
- vages 7mo agoAny PR is good PR, I guess?
- Mordisquitos 7mo agoIronically I only came to this HN post and clicked on the URL because of the name. At first I misunderstood the description and thought they were doing industrial-scale packaging of magical mushroom mycelium.
- blackhaz 7mo agoThat's a URL bait!
- AntiqueFig 7mo agoYeah same, I'm kinda sad now it's only packaging.
- mikepurvis 7mo agoI thought it was going to be about robot mushroom harvesting and packing, a competitor to companies like 4AG and Mycionics.
- moffkalast 7mo agoThe duality of man
- Pine_Mushroom 7mo agoYears ago I ran an ecommerce site for gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. We certainly had nothing to do with illegal mushrooms, but I liberally sprinkled the word 'magic' where ever possible. Also the words 'Ann+Arbor'... It seemed to drive some traffic.
- 7mo ago
- nhinck3 7mo agoGoing on a little PR adventure today are we?
- vintermann 7mo agoThis site is run by venture capitalists, I think it's part of the package as long as they don't pretend otherwise.
- nhinck3 7mo agoYeah, I know it's just funny to see the coordinated effort across multiple sites.
- matsemann 7mo agoOr, someone saw it on reddit, thought it was cool, and posted here? Aka classic going viral event, without anything nefarious.
- microflash 7mo agoIndeed, I stumbled upon it this weekend while searching for something completely unrelated. Thought this was neat stuff to share on HN.
- larodi 7mo agohow's this Europe's given factories (and all likeliness all else) is in UK? https://magicalmushroom.com/manufacturing/the-factories https://magicalmushroom.com/manufacturing/the-factories geographically, perhaps, not EU though. and not relevant to EU where there are at least several similar companies such as Grown.bio - Netherlands PermaFungi - Brussels (New 1,400 m² factory) RongoDesign - Romania Biomyc - Bulgaria perhaps more. So this title is super misleading - not first, not Europe's, but perhaps UK's
- bromuro 7mo agoIt’s written in the linked page: “Europe's first industrial-scale mycelium packaging producer”.
- ekjhgkejhgk 7mo ago> how's this Europe's given factories (and all likeliness all else) is in UK? You know that a company can own factories in other countries, yes?
- larodi 7mo agoSo which company owns what, how about you read the homepage twice, and we can discuss the facts.
- rithdmc 7mo ago> geographically, perhaps, not EU though I figure that's why they said Europe's first industrial scale; not the EU's first industrial scale...
- rcxdude 7mo agoThe UK is still in Europe, even if it's left the EU.
- netdevphoenix 7mo agoEU <> Europe
- schrijver 7mo ago
- oniony 7mo agoThere are already companies that use packaging made from formed paper and sugarcane. I would be interested to see what mycelium packaging offers over this. E.g. https://www.jishan-group.com/pulp-products https://www.jishan-group.com/pulp-products.
- elil17 7mo agoI believe the mushroom packaging is more like a foam, so it may be able to better protect products. Additionally, it may have a more "premium" feeling/appearance vs. pulp packaging.
- oniony 7mo agoLooking at the images, it looks less premium to me than the smoother mouled paper inserts I've seen on electronic products. You could be right on with the foam aspect though.
- elil17 7mo agoWell there are multiple types of molded paper inserts. Egg carton-type material on the cheap end, and that super smooth stuff that Apple uses on the other (these generally have additives in them - they aren't just paper). In terms of "premium"ness this sits in the middle.
- account42 7mo agoEven egg cartons look more premium than the pictures in TFA.
- HumanVerbasizer 7mo agoApple was using a cellulose foam mixed with a starch based biodegradable binder, one that was very slightly different from Paperfoam to save them money on licensing fees. Now they just use 99% compressed cellulose with a few antistatic additives.
- cogman10 7mo ago
- amelius 7mo agoIs it edible?
- fanatic2pope 7mo agoMaybe not by humans, but definitely by the various things living in your compost pile.
- orwin 7mo agoMy sister worked as an intern on mycelium as fertilizer. Basically, using cover crops create a small mycelium layer that helps plant grow and reduce fertilizer use (by fixing nitrogen probably). Her job was to find molecules that would make the mycelium, and only the mycelium, grow quicker. That's a very interesting field to study, and it seems promising.
- fsniper 7mo agoReading the first sentence have me a lot of " Last of us" vibes. I hope she's doing ok :)
- Joel_Mckay 7mo agoSounds like a great product, but a tough name in a business messaging context. The Customer Acquisition Cost for people that missed business culture fit rules can be extraordinarily high. Maybe some sort of additional corporate alias name with "Biocomposite" or "Sustainable" packaging related messaging. Also, one may want to contact Uline with a set of product sku that already fit generic shipping boxes for high-value items like wine bottles and laptop screens. Have a great day =3
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- xattt 7mo ago> Mushroom® Packaging, grown from natural mushroom mycelium and agricultural by-products … Does anyone know the agricultural byproducts are?
- Bayart 7mo agoCertainly dung. A common substrate for growing mushroom is a straw or shredded wood depending on the species plus manure.
- Rooster61 7mo agoNot certainly. A LARGE number of fungi grow just fine without manure. I think this is a common misconception since agaricus bisporus (portobello, bella, white, cremini, button) need it to grow well, and it is the most commonly human-grown fungus by a long shot.
- Mistletoe 7mo agoIt says it is the woody core of hemp.
- londons_explore 7mo agoSounds like a thing you could just make paper and cardboard out of directly...
- ac29 7mo ago
- jcims 7mo agoJust a side note. I started growing mushrooms a couple of years ago. Very interesting and fulfilling hobby, they are incredibly interesting critters. Takes a little bit of dedication to get started but once you start seeing them fruit and making your own substrate it's quite inexpensive and a lot of fun. I have a feeling lots of folks in this community would really like it. Basic starter package is a 'monotub', selection of spores, grain for spawning, substrate for fruiting and miscellaneous bits and bobs for handling, hydrating, maintaining temps and cultivating. North Spore and Midwest Grow Kits are both reputable and reliable suppliers. Tons of resources on YouTube as you might expect. One of my favorites is Southwest Mushrooms - https://www.youtube.com/@SouthwestMushrooms https://www.youtube.com/@SouthwestMushrooms
- SebaSeba 7mo agoA thing I've been wondering, I might be completely lost in thinking about this, but do you know: If you grow mushrooms at home is there a risk that it spreads as kind of fungi to the building, furniture etc.?
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- foobiekr 7mo agoMushrooms are everywhere. There used to be a subreddit of "weird mushrooms" like growing out of people's couches or in the bathroom, etc. In all cases, this is a sign of rot due to water intrusion. You can grow mushrooms at home, it is fun. The only risk is that the mushrooms with high spore production are not great to have in a closed residence, especially oyster mushrooms which produce very high spore loads. There are vendors who produce cultures of sporeless oyster which can be used to grow oyster mushrooms indoors. Outdoors, at least in most temperate areas, you are limited to things like shitake on logs or winecaps. The latter are incredibly easy to grow, and very good taste wise, but they are temperamental and basically grow on their own schedule, infrequently.
- steelbrain 7mo ago
- intrasight 7mo agoI like the web site. Using on mobile. Not as bland as most. I normally don't like animation but this one is done nicely.
- cachius 7mo agoNice, similar to https://www.traceless.eu https://www.traceless.eu who are pioneering biopolymers from grain residue, fitting into existing machines and workflows. They already supplied famous Rock am Ring festival with friespickers last year!
- kepano 7mo agoThere are a few companies in this space, notably Ecovative, who have been trying to make mycelium-based packaging for almost two decades. The problem is that it takes around 7 days for each piece of packaging to "grow", and the finished part is heavy and not compressible so it adds significant cost in manufacturing, storage and transit. And these costs don't get any better with scale. For those reasons, mycelium packaging hasn't seen much adoption beyond being used as a marketing story for high-priced small goods. Environmentally forward companies have tended towards paper-based solutions like molded fiber.
- mrsvanwinkle 7mo agoLike real mold on fiber or
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- ThePowerOfFuet 7mo agoNo. Think what egg cartons are made of.
- Tepix 7mo agoHeavy? Two packages made from mycelium can behave very differently because “mycelium composite” is a category, not a single recipe. Particle size, fibre content, and the ratio of substrate to mycelium all change density. Higher density generally brings higher compressive strength and better edge definition, but it also increases weight and can reduce the springy cushioning that protective packaging needs. Source: https://dirobots.com/en/mycelium-strength/ https://dirobots.com/en/mycelium-strength/
- Barbing 7mo agoSounds like this might be your area of expertise. For the rest of us, take a shoebox. How much ballpark extra weight we talkin’ to have a livable planet? (Maybe the mushrooms would be ~2x as heavy as standard shoeboxes for example, to meet existing spec.) Or how about for the glasses box they show on the site in OP, or a plastic sleeve like Americans sell Oreo cookies in. Anybody have any guesses?
- vicentwu 7mo agocool
- khat 7mo agoNow if they can get a mushroom that eats plastic to use it as fuel to grow the mycelium that would be even better.
- vld_chk 7mo agoBy which time should we expect US administration to post a video on X about “good classic” plastic bags and ban in the US any attempt to replace them? :)
- MaxwellM 7mo agoVery exciting!
- susarn 7mo ago[flagged]
- ripharamberip 7mo agoIt sounds good but will this ever scale enough? Plastics are just so freaking cheap that anything that wants become a serious alternative (aside from being a marketing gimmick) needs to be very cheap. I honestly have my doubts but I'm excited that people are looking for alternatives
- throw567643u8 7mo agoTruly green governments should outlaw plastic production and favour PLA bioplastics and this sort of thing. There's enough plastic in the ocean already.
- mikkupikku 7mo agoHow flammable are these? I've seen mycelium leather substitutes before but from what I understand if even a single spark lands on it, it's likely to start a smoldering fire that will consume the whole thing. Basically the perfect tinder.
- Barbing 7mo agoWhat’s a Class A Fire Rating? https://mushroompackaging.com/pages/technical-data https://mushroompackaging.com/pages/technical-data
- __MatrixMan__ 7mo agoThis seems like a nice stepping stone towards something cool, but having the forming happen at a dedicated facility seems to miss the point. The promise of this technology is that instead of: - make packaging -> ship to where product is packed -> ship to consumer -> ship to recycler you can: - grow packaging where product is packed -> ship to consumer - consumer composts it in their garden That is, the packaging should just make one trip instead of three. Hopefully they eventually figure out how to make kits so that shippers can just grow the packaging around the actual product. The hard part will be ensuring that the biomass used as feedstock (likely a waste product from some process nearby to where the product is packed) is actually something that people want in their garden. Doable, but maybe not the kind of thing markets can be trusted to do on their own.
- Kalpaka 7mo ago[dead]
- lofaszvanitt 7mo agoAre these packagings edible?
- TurkishPoptart 7mo agoI love this. I'm assuming the company is looking for government subsidy to replace plastic in frequently disposed plastic packaging (like takeout containers or styrofoam packing)
- woah 7mo agoThis looks like those rough cardboard inserts. Is it actually any better? Especially since they can use the lowest grade of recycled cardboard.
- anthk 7mo agoBetween Mycellium and intelligent networks communicating nodes and 'learning' (and solving mazes' and brain's microtubules with fractal frequencies, biology looks like advanced computing literally very ahead for its time compared to what we the humans were trying to achieve barey half a century ago.