Magazine » sustainabilty

The majority of eco-friendly materials rely on the use of natural fiber compounds. However, some manufacturers have already started to think ahead: They are working on processes that can be used to grow such materials organically and from scratch. By way of example, Ecovative Design uses fungi to form strong bonds between plant waste materials. The manufacturing process is based on the cellulose contained in the organic remains, in addition to lignin as a kind of bonding putty. Filamentous mycelia fungi form a mesh of microscopically small fibers and turn waste materials (such as the hulls from rice or wheat) into an organic, hard foam. Its shock-absorbing properties are similar to that of Styrofoam, yet production only uses one tenth of the energy. 

www.ecovativedesign.com