Eco-friendly packaging made from fungi

Many flower growers would probably associate fungi with disease pathogens. But Ecovative Design is growing 100% compostable and biodegradable packaging called EcoCradle from seed hulls (buckwheat, rice and cotton burs) and mushroom roots. The raw materials are selected based on regionally available byproducts, which minimizes the trucking of raw materials and finished product. EcoCradle is grown in the dark producing miles of tiny white strands in a matter of days. By changing the seed hulls, adjustments can be made to the packaging’s material properties and appearance. This allows for control of the density, resilience, surface finish and feature resolution of the finished packaging. EcoCradle is aerobically and anaerobically compostable so it will biodegrade in a garden or in a landfill.