Ecovative Design is an innovative company based in Green Island, New York, dedicated to the development and commercialization of sustainable biomaterials.
The company offers environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), using mushroom mycelium.
Founded in 2007, the company has received numerous awards and recognitions for its innovative approach and sustainable solutions.
It uses mushroom mycelium, a sustainable and versatile resource. It links the mycelium, the root part of the fungi, to substrates based on plant materials, generally agricultural residues such as straw, sawdust, cotton stalks or seed hulls. These substrates are abundant, renewable, and considered waste materials in other industries, making them economically and environmentally attractive.
By mixing mycelium with these substrates, Ecovative Design allows the mycelium to grow and create a dense, strong network. Once the mycelium has colonized the substrate, the material is shaped and dried to stop the growth.
The final product is a lightweight, strong and biodegradable biomaterial.
Ecovative Design's products can be used in a variety of applications, such as:
- Packaging: mycelium is a good substitute for expanded polystyrene, reducing the environmental impact of packaging waste due to its biodegradability.
- Construction: mycelium-based panels offer an ecological alternative to traditional materials, such as glass wool and polystyrene and are biodegradable at the end of their life.
- Other uses: mycelium is also present to create furniture, textiles and everyday objects, offering a sustainable solution to conventional materials.
Ecovative Design has developed a "do-it-yourself" kit as well, that allows the public to create their own mushroom-based materials and make custom objects, such as lampshades.
In its ongoing quest for innovation, the company has diversified into the alternative protein field with the creation of a new independent company called MyForest Foods. It developed Mycelium Bacon, launched in 2020, which contains all 9 essential amino acids, for a complete source of protein.
In short, Ecovative Design embodies a revolution in the world of biomaterials and plant-based foods, harnessing the unsuspected potential of mushroom mycelium to shape a more sustainable future.
These products, with their diverse applications, are proof that the symbiosis between nature and technology can create new solutions to preserve our planet and build an environmentally friendly future.