Materials Made from Mushrooms
This is a direct replacement for Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
A proven solution for an industry under pressure to change. 71 countries have already implemented bans on expanded polystyrene, with more joining the phase-out effort each year.
The industry is changing.
The Scalable, Compostable
Alternative to Polystyrene
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) dominates the protective packaging industry for a reason: it’s cheap, scalable and effective. But it’s also one of the worst offenders for long-term waste, taking up to 500 years to break down.
As bans on EPS grow globally, companies are turning to alternatives like cardboard, “biodegradable” polymers and mycelium-based foams. Each comes with trade-offs:
Cardboard is scalable and compostable, but offers poor protection and comes at a higher cost
- Cardboard is scalable and compostable, but offers poor protection and comes at a higher cost
- “Biodegradable” polymers protect well and scale easily, but often require industrial composting, meaning they still end up in landfill
- Mycelium foams offer good protection and end-of-life outcomes, but they’re slow and costly to produce, making them hard to scale
The result? Many businesses are stuck.
That's why we developed a
better option.
Our material delivers on all fronts! It’s protective, affordable, scalable, and genuinely compostable at home. And thanks to our patent pending pelletised solution, it’s a direct drop-in for existing manufacturing systems.
Companies like Vodafone, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Meopta have already made the switch to mycelium based packaging solution, reporting superior product protection compared to conventional plastic foam.
Reference: Mycostories email newsletter sent on Sep 10, 2025, 5:00 PM
How it works
We combine agricultural waste (any organic material) with mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. This binds the materials together, acting as a natural adhesive.
The resulting mycelium-based pellets have the same protective performance as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), whilst being sustainably produced and 100% home-compostable.
Agricultural waste
Mycelium
Biopolymer
Better in Every Way
Expanded Polystyrene might be protective, but it's polluting, water-hungry, and lingers for centuries. Our Mushroom Material outperforms it on every front; lower emissions, less water, safer to use, and truly compostable. Here’s how they compare.
Co2 Emissions
Liters of water
Time to compost
End of Life
Water proof
Sound proof
Fire retardant
Equivalent Styrofoam™ Packaging
7 kg
12
500 years
Breaks down into microplastics
< 1 kg
.11
< 3 months*
Decomposes into soil fertilizer
*Expected to compost in under 3 months. Certification in progress.
STYROFOAM™ is a trademark owned by DDP SPECIALTY ELECTRONIC MATERIALS US, LLC
Sustainable Packaging Material Enquiries
Use this page to request specifications, pricing, samples or delivery timelines for our Sustainable Packaging Materials.
