@@StanislavG. but if stabilized doesn't it look too much like plastic? The plastic molecular issue is too much stability and plastic can be made from biotic materials. Any way of "fixing" the biodegradability of mushrooms starts to remove some of their main positive biodegradable traits. Cellulose is probably the best happy medium between plastic and this mushroom mycelium, and we already use it in wood, insulation panel, and pulp forms. The only Issues with cellulose uses is sourcing sustainably. It's really easy to find a destructive source of plant fiber. Also Issues with cellulose coatings aka waterproofing chemicals are often terrible for the environment. Many microplastics and pfoa/pfa (aka Teflon and alternatives) come from stabilized cellulose sources, which would also be the case for any stabilized mycelium. I'm not pro plastic, but theirs not really a perfect silver bullet out their for preventing the pollutant problems associated with perfectly durable materials. I'd say our biggest pollution reduction techniques would include greater access to complex repair machines and use of more modularity for devices and buildings when it comes to mixed material interaction. Like requiring service panels for plastic pipes in concrete, or a flexible bore out and new pipe laying machine for replacing the rotted plastic pipe that would leave the concrete untouched.
@@StanislavG. I'm in the construction industry since mid-1990s ... and I'm quite pessimistic. Various woodchip-and-cement, woodchips-and-gypsum, etc. products have been on the market for more than a century. None of them made substantial inroads into the industry, and most have been outlawed as fire and health hazards. At least, in my jurisdiction. The United States is certainly different for having exceptionally lax safety codes, so the "thing" may actually take up there.
7:12 is a fantastic moment in this video. I really admire your willingness to question and critique the most arrogant and reality-detached professionals on the planet: Architects.
“Sorry, some architects really piss me off.” I love your honesty! I also greatly appreciate that you present pros and cons, and real world applications - instead of just restating the hype.
It can be used to create: - Yoga mats - pins - sculptures - boxes and containers for office and such - pots - packaging for phones, fragile materials, glass, electronics. - shoe protectors from inside - most interestingly waterproof leather to use as lining I’m interested if this kind of stuff can be painted. Maybe when paint is put in a container and then the stuff is grown on top? We’ll see. -
6:48 Old, derelict homes are famously free of contaminants and hazards like rust, mold, and asbestos, so this sounds like a super safe and easy-to-do job for the people doing the tear-down.
@@onlyonSiMPLE not really. If something can be made out of a more eco-friendly materials, then why shouldn't it? Overuse of plastics is a major threat to our environment, and if there's a way to reduce that usage with an eco-friendly, functionally equal alternative, then that's a good thing. Plastic will always have its uses, but it should be limited to applications that truly need its unique properties and has no alternatives.
I personally see value in this product for the protective packaging of small, "expensive" products like cell-phones. Outside of that the focus should be on reducing packaging rather than changing the materials for those packages. When it comes to building materials, I'm personally more interested in finding/creating materials that enable the same basic construction techniques but are higher-quality or more sustainable. Taking something like a TStud and making it using hemp fibers (or something else) is likely to be adopted far faster than some radical new construction material.
I don't see why it would have to be limited to packaging for only small items. Dell and IKEA want onboard, so it can be used for packaging computers to cabinets. I don't see why it can't be molded to use for packaging a multitude of other goods. While it might not be suitable for everything (yet) this is a start.
I don't know if electronics warehouses are usually climate controlled, but it sounds to be ideal for shipping screens and such. I'm always annoyed how much styrophorm waste I have for those things
Electronics warehouses should be climate and humidity controlled. A cold warehouse can result in condensation forming on the electronics, which can cause corrosion. A warehouse with high humidity also increases that condensation risk. A warehouse with low humidity increases the risk of built up static. You don't want someone to build up static while they're working and then touch a piece of equipment.
The computer manufacturers have been coming on board with this stuff or cardboard as packaging, but for some reason consumer electronics companies are dragging their heels. There's really no excuse by now for styrofoam for transport packaging.
I came on you tube because I have this growing in my mulch in the garden and making a hard layer on the soil. I wanted to find out what it was and if it was harmful to my plants. Your video enlightened me as to what this was and that it's not harmful to my landscape. Thanks for your video and concern about the world we live in. 🙂
very interesting! I don't think there will be one product that can replace all plastic uses - this does not seem great for buildings but great for packaging.
Very interesting. I don't think it could be used for permanent building material but for temporary buildings and packaging this sounds like a good alternative.
I really think things like this can have a strong positive effect in the world. Mushrooms are amazing. If I remember correctly, someone even found a mushroom that adapted to eat oil? I can't remember, but it was quite interesting to help clean up oil spills. I think saying that it can save the world is a bit dramatic, but that what article headlines like to do these days.
If they can they should look into using Barley Straw as it can't be used for feed and supposedly has good thermal properties compared to other grain straws and is slightly more mold resistant too. If this outperforms Rockwool acoustically, people with home recording studios should really look into this, and they usually remake their studios every decade on average.
I remember seeing this advertised as the sustainable replacement for plastic packaging. I couldn't help by think that we already had cardboard, which I assume is just as biodegradable, recycleable, almost as light and cheaper to produce. I think people are already making decent homes from cardboard, and if you can make a solid bed from cardboard surely they'd make good coffins too. It just seems like a simpler solution to me though I haven't actually put in any research or effort haha.
its because of capitalism. Youre 100% right in your assumptions about packaging but the missing factor is growth. If we regress to using older technologies then the industries that use them will shrink. To you and i that might mean a small price difference in products but for the executives it means millions in lost revenue. There is no way modern industry is going to consciously choose to operate at a higher expense even if that means saving the planet. They need to see a profit increase from advertising as "green" before they will try anything different because infinite growth is a necessity. You want to really warp your worldview? People in the coldest climates could efficiently live in building made of straw. The reason more people dont? it doesnt fit into life. All our products solve problems that wouldnt exist for someone who lived differently enough.
Well hemp, cotton, and corn are far easier and faster to replace than trees. I think people are looking for ways to stop using trees altogether if possible. But this product has been used to replace Styrofoam inserts in boxes.
@@jerrywhidby. You gotta think about it in terms of actual produced goods. A tree turns into alot of pulp and takes very little labour to grow while sequestering carbon. Hemp as a crop would stimulate our economy where sericulture might not but is that value worth it in the end? Thats alot to think about.
I can see it replacing foam in packaging, since that gets discarded most of the time. Not so much in buildings, where longevity is desired. It could be great for insulating temporary structures.
Thanks for sharing the pros and cons Realistically in an unbiased way. I have been exploring mushroom leather as an alternative to leather to make boots but your video helped me see the bias in these companies. I'm sure over time it will be a great alternative.
I think it has the possibility to replace some clothing and packaging options, but there are better choices for natural building materials that are stronger and last longer.
4:04 maybe it isnt fitting for the topic BUT crosslaminated timber wood is a very interesting the largest timber woood building is 84 m high and stand in Vienna. Im very curious How the mycelium in the bricks will be oriented? And to increase support strength? Adding a weight to it so it needs to build up more strength to come outside?
Hey Belinda! Estimator in the Wall and Ceiling industry here from Southern California. Do you think there could be any problems with supply scaling due to sanitary needs when inoculating new substrates? At 1:47 you show the crushed mycelial mass starting to colonize the container. From what I understand, at this stage there is possibility for bacterial infections and takeover. Where they are shown to be used in walls, typical materials that you would use don’t face this immediate challenge during production as they aren’t biological in nature. I guess I’m wondering if they talked about a solution to this problem with you or if it’s really a nonissue?
Living mycelium caskets sound promising I really don’t want my corpse to just sit there underground not decomposing. Maybe a simple mushroom casket can ultimately make my body something useful and nourishing after I’m gone
😂 My father was an architect. I have many fond memories of us mocking the idiocy of "new wave" experimental architects who created ugly uncomfortable and wasteful buildings in pursuit of their "creative vision." Yes, architecture is an art and an expression of culture, but it is first and foremost shelter. It must be functional. TRUE STORY: My husband was facilities manager for a small bank chain, They were scheduled to build a new three-story stand-alone bank building as their headquarter bank. The architects (Which my husband characterized as "the Gucci loafers set") waltzed in with plans. Not concept sketches. Completed architectural drawings. They forgot the water. There were no bathrooms, no employee lunchroom, no water fountains, no janitorial closets. Nada. Nothing. When my husband pointed that out, the architects were seriously annoyed. The bank president asked, "Don't you supervise your junior architects?" But my bet is on a senior architect who prefers to think about aesthetics instead of function.
I like the idea of using this for temporary packaging. Imagine iphones being packaged in this instead of plastic. But I agree, I wouldn't want to rip out all my drywall to replace the insulation after 20 years.
Solutions don't have to be solutions to *every* problem. We can have a variety of solutions, with each handling the problems it is best suited to deal with. I hope mycelium packaging continues to develop as one alternative to single-use plastics in particular.
If they replace the long chain of petroleum based products and instead gave the subsidies to Mycelium start ups then packaging makes some more sense. What many aren't designing for is that there can be far more voids with tougher materials. Basically just a skeleton of mycelium around the packaged goods would be enough, and in some fringe cases like odd shapes might be doable.
This, obviously, is in its infant stages. In time, we may see more durable products just by the addition of a bit of resin, be it pine tar or what have you. Processes may rely on grinding the end product and re-binding it, making cells (dead air space) in the process, cranking up insulation properties. So much potential to replace a fraction of the problematic plastics now being produced.
I wonder if there will be allergy issues with this material as there are definitely people who are allergic to spores. I know you said that the forms are heat-treated to kill the spores, but I wonder if they have specifically tested this.
@@StanislavG. Go to 2:00 where Belinda says, "The packaging is then heat-treated to dry out, kill SPORES and stop the growth process". I believe that this information on the protocol is coming from the company that has some belief that there are spores present. There might be no spores present, but the information provided implies that are.
@@LPanne_Stitches i can assume it's a formal announcement or something required by law. Ether way kiln drying is done at ~150C - that's above sterilization temp. Mushroom spores are killed at 65C, bacteria endospores are killed at 120C, so i think allergic people should be fine. (my credentials - i'm an amateur mycologist) :)
@@StanislavG. You are now addressing what my stated concerns were in the original comment. good job. My advice to you if you want to share the knowledge you have gained through your study of mushrooms is to work on your science communication skills and reading comprehension. That way you will actually share the relevant parts of your knowledge instead of coming off as patronizing. Finally, according to the EPA, spores do not need to be alive to cause allergies.
@@LPanne_Stitches sorry i came out patronizing, that was just a quick comment, and as a person not suffering from allergies i sometimes forget the seriousness of the implications. My sincere apologies. Regarding the efficacy of dead spores - absolutely true, but (!) high temp is not just killing the spore, it denatures it, meaning - destroying the protein structure of the spore. Mushroom allergies are caused by proteins, so again, i'm firmly convinced the product is safe. But then again, i'd never trust a novel product without conducting a research via reliable scientific sources, no matter what some guy in the comments says. Edit: I specifically state these as Mushrooms and not Fungi since that's (fungi) a broad term that includes molds, yeast and many many others.
Great Video as always. A few years ago at a trade show they had plastics made from corn like grocery bags. They made similar claims about biodegradable, non harmful and non petroleum. It looked and felt just like plastic. Any thoughts on whatever became of that. I have often wondered.
According to some videos I've seen those types of plastic alternatives aren't that biodegradable because of the chemicals they are made with (some are still partially plastic). On top of that since companies don't have standard formulas there's not really an efficient way to recycle them.
They're still making them. The most common are PLA and PHA plastics (which are derived from corn starch and bacterial fermentation of sugar, respectively). They are frequently used for things like single-use cutlery, take out clamshells, and green bin (compost bin) liners.
We explored this for our structural insulated blocks. Apart from the worrying short life span we found that the production space required was enormous! At the moment we use polyurethane foam which cures in a few minutes, the blocks are stacked on a pallet and out of the factory in less than one hour. If we switched to mycelium blocks the same pallet of blocks would take weeks; this would put costs up more than ten fold. As Belinda says 'Let's be realistic' who will pay the extra costs? Answer: No one!
Interesting. It’s something to watch, for sure. If they come up with less labour intensive and structurally sound versions, I’d be on board with it. And since it’s really new, who knows what may come out of this? Thanks for sharing!
So I’m curious as to how long a brick would last when sealed or painted. It’s definitely not a structural material but could easily be an eco interior material in low moisture environments. Also suppose we design houses where the insulation can be replaced easily - 20 years is a long time between replacements and by replacement time something better might have gone along. One last thought - would the bricks be stronger if mixed with pellets of recycled plastic?
I like there is an alternative to plastic. Even if it cannot replace all plastics. Having choice means we can make a start reducing our reliance on plastics alone.
hi Belinda! Great video, as usual! thank you so much for such clear information. do you think is there a way to stop hemp straw from degrading while being in contact with mycelium?
My wife's rituals gift set came with an inlay made from cellulose that was completely biodegradeable. I threw it on our compost heap and it was completely gone after a few weeks. I even saw a snail eating from it. To me, cellulose seems like a better alternative to this, at least in packaging. The low compressive strength of this material could be an advantage though. To package sensitive or easily breakable items. To replace styrofoam. Though I think paper could do that too.
What about allergies to mushrooms? My son is very allergic and I was wondering if this product could introduce particles into the air that could cause a problem
Belinda would you mind addressing ceramic-insulating paints like ThermaCels - Insulating Paint Additive? I know there is at least one similar additive. My only complaint is the sandy finish.
Disaster relief is huge! I’ve seen that they make concrete form tents . Why not fill the form with substrate and and have it grown itself, sure it would take a week but it’s a lot easier to transport substrate than it is concrete. Maybe explore local substrate technologies
Another wonderful, educational, and thorough video! Thank you for continuing to stay up & ahead with new innovations and providing a ton of inspiration. Ever thought about architectural molding as a use case? Largely non- or light-load bearing. Clearly you'd have more creative control with casting your own molds. I see some neat, 3d-printyish, organic themes. I imagine them being unique & creative, along with all the aforementioned benefits. Also, smaller scale; project-by-project, to start.
Seems like it can be a solid replacement for certain things in the short term, but I really hope they can make improvements for the long term. Looks unlikely to me, but I am not very smart and have no idea what I’m talking about. This is where you come in! Always love watching your videos Belinda, I’ve actually learnt so much from them!
@@BelindaCarr you’re most welcome! But thank YOU! I’ve followed you for maybe a year, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed basically all your content. Especially shedding light on container homes, and your insight into the construction industry. You’re obviously incredibly smart. Always look forward to your next video
Belinda, thanks for a fantastic and thorough video! Do you know where mycelium-based wall materials have been certified as Class A fire retardant? Is there published and peer-reviewed articles about its fire-related properties?
The idea of building with those is very intriguing, but as most of the country is well aware of right now it gets very very cold in the winter. Can these hold up to the freeze thaw of a harsh winter? What is the long-term solution to protecting us from the frigid elements?
Regarding your criticism of Redhouse Architects, do you think their idea could be feasible with bigger buildings like malls, that have more easily identifyable materials?
All delivery packaging should be mycelium. The packaging has one purpose, to get the item safe to the delivery destination and then it is discarded. Most online bought items do not require see through plastic packaging that is so essential in the context of face to face purchasing. Most card board and polystyrene application could also be replaced with mycelium. Most garden centres should steel plants in.Mycelium pots too. All beach toys too!
6:59 - what follows is one of the biggest reasons why I am such a HUGE proponent of steel SIPs construction. Steel-skinned EPS core SIPs are made of only two materials... both of which are high yield recyclables. In all but the most extreme cold climates, steel SIPs are the best solution for nearly all types of RCI buildings, and could relieve a huge strain on energy demands. Industry-centric communities especially, could benifit the most... as the captured thermal energy of the industrial buildings could be distributed to the surrounding homes, instead of the open air.
If it replaces leather with better durability than fake leather, I'm already happy tbh. It feels like a very good alternative to foam as well. The other uses, I'm not so sure of.
Plastic recycling is in the hands of those who operate the municipal recycling facilities and it's pretty good business to just sell the pre-separated stuff and get rid of the rest, they aren't gonna sacrifice any of the profit to do a more meticulous separation process.
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I don't think it will replace plastic in all instances, but it would be cool to see it in a number of "non-food" usages.
I think, given a proper stabilization method is invented, this tech can be the next big thing in construction industry
Like faster than light travel?
@@mathewcalaway7684 not really 😂
@@StanislavG. but if stabilized doesn't it look too much like plastic? The plastic molecular issue is too much stability and plastic can be made from biotic materials. Any way of "fixing" the biodegradability of mushrooms starts to remove some of their main positive biodegradable traits. Cellulose is probably the best happy medium between plastic and this mushroom mycelium, and we already use it in wood, insulation panel, and pulp forms. The only Issues with cellulose uses is sourcing sustainably. It's really easy to find a destructive source of plant fiber. Also Issues with cellulose coatings aka waterproofing chemicals are often terrible for the environment. Many microplastics and pfoa/pfa (aka Teflon and alternatives) come from stabilized cellulose sources, which would also be the case for any stabilized mycelium. I'm not pro plastic, but theirs not really a perfect silver bullet out their for preventing the pollutant problems associated with perfectly durable materials. I'd say our biggest pollution reduction techniques would include greater access to complex repair machines and use of more modularity for devices and buildings when it comes to mixed material interaction. Like requiring service panels for plastic pipes in concrete, or a flexible bore out and new pipe laying machine for replacing the rotted plastic pipe that would leave the concrete untouched.
@@StanislavG. I'm in the construction industry since mid-1990s ... and I'm quite pessimistic. Various woodchip-and-cement, woodchips-and-gypsum, etc. products have been on the market for more than a century. None of them made substantial inroads into the industry, and most have been outlawed as fire and health hazards. At least, in my jurisdiction. The United States is certainly different for having exceptionally lax safety codes, so the "thing" may actually take up there.
7:12 is a fantastic moment in this video. I really admire your willingness to question and critique the most arrogant and reality-detached professionals on the planet: Architects.
"this is why architects are made fun of" made me laugh, because it's true!
“Sorry, some architects really piss me off.”
I love your honesty!
I also greatly appreciate that you present pros and cons, and real world applications - instead of just restating the hype.
It can be used to create:
- Yoga mats
- pins
- sculptures
- boxes and containers for office and such
- pots
- packaging for phones, fragile materials, glass, electronics.
- shoe protectors from inside
- most interestingly waterproof leather to use as lining
I’m interested if this kind of stuff can be painted. Maybe when paint is put in a container and then the stuff is grown on top? We’ll see.
-
Also some are using kombusha to create leather like film. This company you talk about is not the only one on the market.
6:48 Old, derelict homes are famously free of contaminants and hazards like rust, mold, and asbestos, so this sounds like a super safe and easy-to-do job for the people doing the tear-down.
👆👆They sell the best shrooms, dmt, lsd and other psychedelic products and ship discreetly to any location of the world 🍄🌍.....
Anything that helps erase plastics is never a bad idea. Thanks for sharing this.
thats dangerous thinking.
@@onlyonSiMPLE it's not, plastics is dangerous.
@@onlyonSiMPLE not really. If something can be made out of a more eco-friendly materials, then why shouldn't it? Overuse of plastics is a major threat to our environment, and if there's a way to reduce that usage with an eco-friendly, functionally equal alternative, then that's a good thing.
Plastic will always have its uses, but it should be limited to applications that truly need its unique properties and has no alternatives.
I personally see value in this product for the protective packaging of small, "expensive" products like cell-phones. Outside of that the focus should be on reducing packaging rather than changing the materials for those packages.
When it comes to building materials, I'm personally more interested in finding/creating materials that enable the same basic construction techniques but are higher-quality or more sustainable. Taking something like a TStud and making it using hemp fibers (or something else) is likely to be adopted far faster than some radical new construction material.
I don't see why it would have to be limited to packaging for only small items. Dell and IKEA want onboard, so it can be used for packaging computers to cabinets. I don't see why it can't be molded to use for packaging a multitude of other goods. While it might not be suitable for everything (yet) this is a start.
Mushrooms and hemp? You just said the magic words. 😊🌎🌄
More of this please Belinda... This is outstanding!!
I don't know if electronics warehouses are usually climate controlled, but it sounds to be ideal for shipping screens and such. I'm always annoyed how much styrophorm waste I have for those things
Electronics warehouses should be climate and humidity controlled.
A cold warehouse can result in condensation forming on the electronics, which can cause corrosion.
A warehouse with high humidity also increases that condensation risk.
A warehouse with low humidity increases the risk of built up static. You don't want someone to build up static while they're working and then touch a piece of equipment.
@@Grumpini When it comes to static, mycelium should be much better than styrofoam.
The computer manufacturers have been coming on board with this stuff or cardboard as packaging, but for some reason consumer electronics companies are dragging their heels. There's really no excuse by now for styrofoam for transport packaging.
I came on you tube because I have this growing in my mulch in the garden and making a hard layer on the soil. I wanted to find out what it was and if it was harmful to my plants. Your video enlightened me as to what this was and that it's not harmful to my landscape. Thanks for your video and concern about the world we live in. 🙂
very interesting! I don't think there will be one product that can replace all plastic uses - this does not seem great for buildings but great for packaging.
Belinda, I love your channel.
Another informative, unbiased, clearheaded video! Thanks!
Wonderful bio-mycomaterial
Nice discription
Very interesting. I don't think it could be used for permanent building material but for temporary buildings and packaging this sounds like a good alternative.
I really think things like this can have a strong positive effect in the world. Mushrooms are amazing. If I remember correctly, someone even found a mushroom that adapted to eat oil? I can't remember, but it was quite interesting to help clean up oil spills. I think saying that it can save the world is a bit dramatic, but that what article headlines like to do these days.
Belinda your channel is wonderful and educational, thank you.
Thank you!!
Belinda must be an engineer. Only engineers and architects have this much animosity towards one another.
I saw a documentary on how they make coffins out of this material. I don't understand why it isn't used as coffins in more places.
I think 'traditional Christian burial practices' where preservation is a major factor.
An excellent overview of the subject. Thank you for your research and clarity.
I really appreciate your balanced reporting on mycelium. Everything else I have watched has only touted the positives. Thank you.
If they can they should look into using Barley Straw as it can't be used for feed and supposedly has good thermal properties compared to other grain straws and is slightly more mold resistant too.
If this outperforms Rockwool acoustically, people with home recording studios should really look into this, and they usually remake their studios every decade on average.
Amazing and thorough video yet again. Keep up the great work!
I remember seeing this advertised as the sustainable replacement for plastic packaging. I couldn't help by think that we already had cardboard, which I assume is just as biodegradable, recycleable, almost as light and cheaper to produce. I think people are already making decent homes from cardboard, and if you can make a solid bed from cardboard surely they'd make good coffins too. It just seems like a simpler solution to me though I haven't actually put in any research or effort haha.
The "molded pulp" packaging she mentions is basically cardboard (wood pulp), but apparently it's heavier than this stuff.
its because of capitalism. Youre 100% right in your assumptions about packaging but the missing factor is growth.
If we regress to using older technologies then the industries that use them will shrink. To you and i that might mean a small price difference in products but for the executives it means millions in lost revenue. There is no way modern industry is going to consciously choose to operate at a higher expense even if that means saving the planet. They need to see a profit increase from advertising as "green" before they will try anything different because infinite growth is a necessity.
You want to really warp your worldview? People in the coldest climates could efficiently live in building made of straw. The reason more people dont? it doesnt fit into life. All our products solve problems that wouldnt exist for someone who lived differently enough.
Well hemp, cotton, and corn are far easier and faster to replace than trees. I think people are looking for ways to stop using trees altogether if possible. But this product has been used to replace Styrofoam inserts in boxes.
@@jerrywhidby. You gotta think about it in terms of actual produced goods. A tree turns into alot of pulp and takes very little labour to grow while sequestering carbon.
Hemp as a crop would stimulate our economy where sericulture might not but is that value worth it in the end? Thats alot to think about.
@@zachweyrauch2988 profit should not be the main goal of production, that is what has allowed 100 companies to destroy the world
As always your candidness is appreciated 👍
Very nice, I am happy to hear a well spoken opposition to the hype of these products are gaining.
I love this lady, she should have a millions subs.
I can see it replacing foam in packaging, since that gets discarded most of the time. Not so much in buildings, where longevity is desired. It could be great for insulating temporary structures.
Thanks for sharing the pros and cons Realistically in an unbiased way. I have been exploring mushroom leather as an alternative to leather to make boots but your video helped me see the bias in these companies. I'm sure over time it will be a great alternative.
Looking forward to an update on the decomposition of the chunks that you sprinkled into dirt outside.
I love your own well qualified opinions on top of the facts!
Love your efforts Belinda and want to thank you for it. :-)
Thank you for the summary in the description! it makes it very easy to process the information in the video!
I think it has the possibility to replace some clothing and packaging options, but there are better choices for natural building materials that are stronger and last longer.
I'm so happy this video had a positive outcome. I expected to learn that this product is terrible and can never work. I am becoming too cynical :)
4:04 maybe it isnt fitting for the topic BUT crosslaminated timber wood is a very interesting the largest timber woood building is 84 m high and stand in Vienna.
Im very curious How the mycelium in the bricks will be oriented? And to increase support strength? Adding a weight to it so it needs to build up more strength to come outside?
Most interesting presentation on something really different.
Hey Belinda! Estimator in the Wall and Ceiling industry here from Southern California. Do you think there could be any problems with supply scaling due to sanitary needs when inoculating new substrates? At 1:47 you show the crushed mycelial mass starting to colonize the container. From what I understand, at this stage there is possibility for bacterial infections and takeover. Where they are shown to be used in walls, typical materials that you would use don’t face this immediate challenge during production as they aren’t biological in nature. I guess I’m wondering if they talked about a solution to this problem with you or if it’s really a nonissue?
Living mycelium caskets sound promising I really don’t want my corpse to just sit there underground not decomposing. Maybe a simple mushroom casket can ultimately make my body something useful and nourishing after I’m gone
😂 My father was an architect. I have many fond memories of us mocking the idiocy of "new wave" experimental architects who created ugly uncomfortable and wasteful buildings in pursuit of their "creative vision." Yes, architecture is an art and an expression of culture, but it is first and foremost shelter. It must be functional. TRUE STORY: My husband was facilities manager for a small bank chain, They were scheduled to build a new three-story stand-alone bank building as their headquarter bank. The architects (Which my husband characterized as "the Gucci loafers set") waltzed in with plans. Not concept sketches. Completed architectural drawings. They forgot the water. There were no bathrooms, no employee lunchroom, no water fountains, no janitorial closets. Nada. Nothing. When my husband pointed that out, the architects were seriously annoyed. The bank president asked, "Don't you supervise your junior architects?" But my bet is on a senior architect who prefers to think about aesthetics instead of function.
Very informative, as usual! Thanks.
good content! and always thoughtfully presented!
I like the idea of using this for temporary packaging. Imagine iphones being packaged in this instead of plastic. But I agree, I wouldn't want to rip out all my drywall to replace the insulation after 20 years.
Out of all eco wololo this thing strikes me as realistically usable! I like it!
Solutions don't have to be solutions to *every* problem. We can have a variety of solutions, with each handling the problems it is best suited to deal with. I hope mycelium packaging continues to develop as one alternative to single-use plastics in particular.
Great video! Thanks for the info. But I have a doubt: Why it can't be used as food storage container?
Great presentation, It is very honest and logical as usual. Environmentalists are not known to be remotely logical I'm glad you challenge them.
If they replace the long chain of petroleum based products and instead gave the subsidies to Mycelium start ups then packaging makes some more sense. What many aren't designing for is that there can be far more voids with tougher materials. Basically just a skeleton of mycelium around the packaged goods would be enough, and in some fringe cases like odd shapes might be doable.
Why built of that? As packaging material, seems very good. Maybe also for food products, when an additional non-mushroom layer is on it?
This is the first time I have seen a post on the varied potential uses of mycelium that also looks at the negatives.
I love your videos Carr!
This, obviously, is in its infant stages. In time, we may see more durable products just by the addition of a bit of resin, be it pine tar or what have you.
Processes may rely on grinding the end product and re-binding it, making cells (dead air space) in the process, cranking up insulation properties.
So much potential to replace a fraction of the problematic plastics now being produced.
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I wonder if there will be allergy issues with this material as there are definitely people who are allergic to spores. I know you said that the forms are heat-treated to kill the spores, but I wonder if they have specifically tested this.
Mycelia doesn't produce spores (directly i mean, you need fruiting bodies for spore production)
@@StanislavG. Go to 2:00 where Belinda says, "The packaging is then heat-treated to dry out, kill SPORES and stop the growth process". I believe that this information on the protocol is coming from the company that has some belief that there are spores present. There might be no spores present, but the information provided implies that are.
@@LPanne_Stitches i can assume it's a formal announcement or something required by law. Ether way kiln drying is done at ~150C - that's above sterilization temp. Mushroom spores are killed at 65C, bacteria endospores are killed at 120C, so i think allergic people should be fine.
(my credentials - i'm an amateur mycologist) :)
@@StanislavG. You are now addressing what my stated concerns were in the original comment. good job. My advice to you if you want to share the knowledge you have gained through your study of mushrooms is to work on your science communication skills and reading comprehension. That way you will actually share the relevant parts of your knowledge instead of coming off as patronizing. Finally, according to the EPA, spores do not need to be alive to cause allergies.
@@LPanne_Stitches sorry i came out patronizing, that was just a quick comment, and as a person not suffering from allergies i sometimes forget the seriousness of the implications. My sincere apologies.
Regarding the efficacy of dead spores - absolutely true, but (!) high temp is not just killing the spore, it denatures it, meaning - destroying the protein structure of the spore. Mushroom allergies are caused by proteins, so again, i'm firmly convinced the product is safe. But then again, i'd never trust a novel product without conducting a research via reliable scientific sources, no matter what some guy in the comments says.
Edit: I specifically state these as Mushrooms and not Fungi since that's (fungi) a broad term that includes molds, yeast and many many others.
Wow Fantastic!
Great Video as always. A few years ago at a trade show they had plastics made from corn like grocery bags. They made similar claims about biodegradable, non harmful and non petroleum. It looked and felt just like plastic. Any thoughts on whatever became of that. I have often wondered.
According to some videos I've seen those types of plastic alternatives aren't that biodegradable because of the chemicals they are made with (some are still partially plastic). On top of that since companies don't have standard formulas there's not really an efficient way to recycle them.
They're still making them. The most common are PLA and PHA plastics (which are derived from corn starch and bacterial fermentation of sugar, respectively). They are frequently used for things like single-use cutlery, take out clamshells, and green bin (compost bin) liners.
We explored this for our structural insulated blocks. Apart from the worrying short life span we found that the production space required was enormous! At the moment we use polyurethane foam which cures in a few minutes, the blocks are stacked on a pallet and out of the factory in less than one hour. If we switched to mycelium blocks the same pallet of blocks would take weeks; this would put costs up more than ten fold. As Belinda says 'Let's be realistic' who will pay the extra costs? Answer: No one!
You have some really great and informative videos on your channel.
Fascinating video! Thank you very much 🙂
Interesting. It’s something to watch, for sure. If they come up with less labour intensive and structurally sound versions, I’d be on board with it. And since it’s really new, who knows what may come out of this? Thanks for sharing!
So I’m curious as to how long a brick would last when sealed or painted. It’s definitely not a structural material but could easily be an eco interior material in low moisture environments. Also suppose we design houses where the insulation can be replaced easily - 20 years is a long time between replacements and by replacement time something better might have gone along. One last thought - would the bricks be stronger if mixed with pellets of recycled plastic?
I like there is an alternative to plastic. Even if it cannot replace all plastics. Having choice means we can make a start reducing our reliance on plastics alone.
hi Belinda! Great video, as usual! thank you so much for such clear information.
do you think is there a way to stop hemp straw from degrading while being in contact with mycelium?
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Does it taste good? Maybe a little seasoning and you could make a meal of the packaging?
I love your Chanel !! I appreciate it so much learning about so many new things that are pretty cutting edge
Thank you!
My wife's rituals gift set came with an inlay made from cellulose that was completely biodegradeable. I threw it on our compost heap and it was completely gone after a few weeks. I even saw a snail eating from it. To me, cellulose seems like a better alternative to this, at least in packaging.
The low compressive strength of this material could be an advantage though. To package sensitive or easily breakable items. To replace styrofoam. Though I think paper could do that too.
Great presentation!
what are the regulations (UK) for mycelium packaging? Can you name up to 4 laws please
Another great video!
Nice to listen to - to be continued please
Technologies like this one are a huge step towards progress end sustainability of our society.
Hopefully it can help in certain areas, but you are right that it will be hard to compete with plastic based solutions in a number of areas.
Seems like an excellent and sustainable replacement for many non-structural/food-grade plastics.
What about allergies to mushrooms? My son is very allergic and I was wondering if this product could introduce particles into the air that could cause a problem
How would this perform *as* drywall as well as insulation. 20 years rework would be less of an issue.
Belinda would you mind addressing ceramic-insulating paints like ThermaCels - Insulating Paint Additive? I know there is at least one similar additive. My only complaint is the sandy finish.
Disaster relief is huge! I’ve seen that they make concrete form tents . Why not fill the form with substrate and and have it grown itself, sure it would take a week but it’s a lot easier to transport substrate than it is concrete. Maybe explore local substrate technologies
Another wonderful, educational, and thorough video! Thank you for continuing to stay up & ahead with new innovations and providing a ton of inspiration. Ever thought about architectural molding as a use case? Largely non- or light-load bearing. Clearly you'd have more creative control with casting your own molds. I see some neat, 3d-printyish, organic themes. I imagine them being unique & creative, along with all the aforementioned benefits. Also, smaller scale; project-by-project, to start.
Yes, It is the future, Thanks for nice info!
Seems like it can be a solid replacement for certain things in the short term, but I really hope they can make improvements for the long term. Looks unlikely to me, but I am not very smart and have no idea what I’m talking about. This is where you come in! Always love watching your videos Belinda, I’ve actually learnt so much from them!
Thank you!!
@@BelindaCarr you’re most welcome! But thank YOU! I’ve followed you for maybe a year, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed basically all your content. Especially shedding light on container homes, and your insight into the construction industry. You’re obviously incredibly smart. Always look forward to your next video
I really like the idea of mycelium packaging. Hope it takes off where it can.
Was not sure where to ask you this, But what do you think about metal roofs?
Belinda, do you know of any companies recycling plastics into building bricks?
Belinda, thanks for a fantastic and thorough video! Do you know where mycelium-based wall materials have been certified as Class A fire retardant? Is there published and peer-reviewed articles about its fire-related properties?
Love this so much!
PETG happens to be my favorite filaments to FDM print with. I always have a great result.
The idea of building with those is very intriguing, but as most of the country is well aware of right now it gets very very cold in the winter. Can these hold up to the freeze thaw of a harsh winter? What is the long-term solution to protecting us from the frigid elements?
Regarding your criticism of Redhouse Architects, do you think their idea could be feasible with bigger buildings like malls, that have more easily identifyable materials?
Loved your video. Thank you
You need to talk to Paul Stamets (the mushroom man) and watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix. Mushrooms got all kinds of potential!
All delivery packaging should be mycelium. The packaging has one purpose, to get the item safe to the delivery destination and then it is discarded. Most online bought items do not require see through plastic packaging that is so essential in the context of face to face purchasing. Most card board and polystyrene application could also be replaced with mycelium. Most garden centres should steel plants in.Mycelium pots too. All beach toys too!
Belinda is so intelligent and beautiful.
This was a interesting watch. Thank you.
6:59 - what follows is one of the biggest reasons why I am such a HUGE proponent of steel SIPs construction. Steel-skinned EPS core SIPs are made of only two materials... both of which are high yield recyclables. In all but the most extreme cold climates, steel SIPs are the best solution for nearly all types of RCI buildings, and could relieve a huge strain on energy demands. Industry-centric communities especially, could benifit the most... as the captured thermal energy of the industrial buildings could be distributed to the surrounding homes, instead of the open air.
I've been curious about mushroom leather for shoe making.
If it replaces leather with better durability than fake leather, I'm already happy tbh. It feels like a very good alternative to foam as well. The other uses, I'm not so sure of.
Hey i wanna ask one thing Green mold grows on my myco product what can i do? Please tell me.
Plastic recycling is in the hands of those who operate the municipal recycling facilities and it's pretty good business to just sell the pre-separated stuff and get rid of the rest, they aren't gonna sacrifice any of the profit to do a more meticulous separation process.