Mushrooms are popping up everywhere. And we don’t just mean on the ground outside. Over the last few years, mushrooms – or fungi, to give them their more technically accurate name – have been used in a huge range of sustainable design projects. This includes as packaging materials, fabrics, insulation, and even for making bricks. But it is more than just this versatility that is causing such excitement. The very way fungi lives, grows, and communicates (yes, fungi communicate) is providing an inspiration for sustainable design, network development, and even new ways of thinking.
So, just what is fungi? How and where does it grow and why is it being seen as a potential solution for many sustainability issues across a range of sectors? In this guide we will attempt to answer these questions, taking a closer look into how fungi grow, how it can be harvested and what potential uses and benefits it might have.
What are Fungi?
Fungi is the name given to a whole kingdom of living organisms that inhabit the planet. It is separate and distinct from both plants and animals (even though it is commonly lumped in with plants). Mushrooms are just one type of fungi that exist, perhaps the best known because of its visibility both in the natural world around us and often in the food we eat. However, fungi also include molds, yeasts, and mildews. The mushroom is the fruiting body of certain strains of fungi, often possessing a stemmed structure with wide brim. Some are edible, as we know, but many are not, and some can even be poisonous.
While many types of fungi have incredible uses as medicines (penicillin is a type of mold) and in the production of many foods and drinks (yeasts are integral to the fermentation process used to make beer, wine, and bread), it is mycelium that is perhaps having the biggest impact on sustainable design and construction.
Relatively little is known about mycelium, which is the network of fungi fibers that is found underground. It is essentially the root system of the organism, spreading around nutrients and even passing information along its network. There is evidence to suggest that mycelium even regulates its landscape, providing food to other organisms when needed, and dealing with toxins and other harmful elements. It is also the largest living organism on the planet. The Armillaria ostoyae that can be found in the Malheur National Forest in eastern Oregon measures 3.5 miles across and is thought to be around 2,400 years old.
Some mycelium products are already available while ongoing research to make variants stronger and more versatile is yielding results in other areas.
How Is Fungi Farmed?
Mycelium grows very quickly, and crucially can be produced locally with very little waste. It requires organic waste to grow, so does not divert soil from other agricultural needs. It can be molded into a huge variety of shapes and can be processed, generally with heat, to prevent further growth. As such, fungi foams are becoming very popular building and packaging materials. There are also potential uses as flooring and paneling within the construction industry. It may even be possible in the future to grow an entire sustainable mushroom house.
Is Fungi a Sustainable Material?
As mentioned, fungi can be produced locally with little difficulty, as long as you have a supply or organic material. Production can be scaled to almost any size and no additional fuel or resources are needed. There is no need for the removal of soil from agricultural areas.
However, fungi also have a number of other major sustainability credentials. It has been shown to be effective in cleaning up contaminated industrial sites and oil spills, reducing existing environmental damage, and can even help to refine biofuels. It can be used in water purification and also in the production of modern medicines. It may even have the potential to break down plastics.
Is Fungus Biodegradable?
Not only are fungi naturally occurring and therefore 100% biodegradable, it also has shown biodegradation properties, which means it can help to biodegrade other materials. This includes polycarbons and polymers, making fungi a potentially remarkable solution to the fossil fuel and plastic waste problems. Research into this area is promising, with a number of companies and organizations looking to harness the degradation power of fungi to break down plastics.
What Are the Benefits of Fungi/Mushrooms?
The benefits of fungi can be loosely broken down into two main categories. The first revolve around its potential uses and the other has to do with its natural capabilities.
Natural benefits of fungi
Fungi has a huge role to play in soil biodiversity, closely linked together with vegetation and carbon nutrient recycling. It makes many nutrients available for plants, often regulating environments to be more beneficial. It plays an important role in the carbon cycle and helps to decompose organic litter and dead plant material. It also forms a big part of many diets around the world and often has healing or medicinal properties.
Potential uses
Fungi has been found to help degrade various pollutants including plastic and other carbon-based materials. It can also be used to help advance reforestation in degraded soils. Mycelium is increasingly being used to replace unsustainable materials such as plastics or synthetics as sustainable mushroom packaging or even as an alternative to leather. The use of fungi in sustainable design already includes products such as clothing, skincare products, shoes, and more.
What are the Disadvantages of Fungi?
Of course, no material is perfect, and fungi can have some negative consequences on environments. Molds are what makes much of our food go bad and many fungi can cause infections, which can destroy living organisms such as trees and plants. However, these are natural consequences and part of the life cycle of many organisms. And it is often fungi’s ability to perform these tasks that makes it so powerful. For example, fungi will break down organic matter and return it to the soil, but it can use these same properties to potentially clean up an oil spill.
In addition, when grown, fungi can be easily controlled to limit any negative consequences.
How Else Can Fungi Be Used?
There is a huge amount of potential for fungi and mushrooms to be used in various ways. As you can see from the information above, fungi can be used for everything from sustainable mushroom packaging to organic leather to petrochemical cleaning programs. Our understanding of fungi is still in its relative infancy, and we are only just beginning to unlock some its secrets.
Encouragingly, much of what is being discovered about fungi and mushrooms is very positive and exciting. From developing fungi sustainable designs to help build, insulate, and finish homes to using mushrooms to deal with industrial waste, there is little doubt that fungi will play a large role in sustainable design for generations to come.