When two engineering students from the Rensselar Polytechnic Institute came up with the idea to use mushrooms and discarded agricultural byproducts to create a green alternative to Styrofoam insulation and packing materials, there had to have been a lot of skeptics thinking they’d never make a go of it. However, after their creation won the top prize at the PICNIC Green Challenge in Amsterdam and Popular Science’s Invention Award in 2008 and 2009 respectively, any doubts that Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre had about their unique invention evaporated immediately.
Greensulate™ is what its inventors call “low-tech biotech.” Created by allowing mycelia (the roots of mushrooms) to grow in agricultural material such as buckwheat and cottonseed hulls , the material can be formed into strong rigid board-style insulation that passes all ASTM tests for mold growth, water sorption, and vapor transmission. The product is also completely safe for humans to handle install without the use of protective gear and clothing.
While the material isn’t the first green alternative to petrochemical insulation, it’s one of the only board-type insulation alternatives available, making it extremely desirable for building contractors who cater to green home buyers.
Because the material is literally grown and not manufactured, it can be customized in a matter of hours by substituting different component materials to provide unique strength characteristics. The inventors had also wondered if the unique properties of the constituent materials would lead to any special properties and they were thrilled to learn that the finished material is flame resistant and earns a class 1 fire rating.
The same process used to create Greensulate™ is also used in the growing of mycelia-based packing materials trademarked under the name Ecocradle. As an alternative to Styrofoam, the material performs extremely well and can be custom shaped by altering the container in which the material is grown. Ecocradle material is completely biodegradable and some enterprising users even recycle the material as mulch for gardens.
In a relatively short amount of time, the company and its products have gained a tremendous amount of interest being featured in Popular Science, PopTech, and even appeared on an episode of CSI: NY.
To learn more about Ecovative Designs or any of its revolutionary biotech products visit the company’s website at: www.ecovativedesign.com/
I'm a freelance copywriter with three year's experience and a specialization in web copy, marketing materials, and ghostwriting. I'm also a regular contributor to The Maine Edge (www.themaineedge.com.)