A new U.K.-based startup is creating a plastic-like packaging replacement from mushrooms. Global plastic waste has more than doubled in the past 20 years, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and 40% of that waste comes from packaging. Meanwhile, a recent study found that more than half of Gen Z are influenced to buy from a brand again if their packaging is sustainable, underscoring YPulse’s WE Sustainability data, which shows that creating sustainable packaging is the No. 1 thing young Europeans think brands should be doing to fight climate change. Now, the Magical Mushroom Company is combining agricultural waste and mycelium—the root structure of a mushroom—to create biodegradable and durable packaging that costs the same as fossil fuel-based plastic packaging—but is far more sustainable. (TechCrunch)
