IITM's fungi-based packaging could replace plastic foam
IIT Madras researchers have found a way to turn agricultural and paper waste into sturdy, biodegradable packaging using fungi—offering a real alternative to plastic foam.
With India producing over 350 million tons of crop waste each year, this could be a game changer for cutting down both plastic pollution and waste burning.
Packaging tougher than regular polystyrene
The team grew fungi like Ganoderma and Pleurotus on things like cardboard and sawdust.
The result? Packaging that's tougher than regular polystyrene, resists water, and breaks down naturally—no landfill guilt.
It's not just for boxes either; this material can also insulate against heat and noise.
NatureWrks Technologies is on a mission to scale this up
A startup from IIT Madras called NatureWrks Technologies is working to scale this up, turning cheap farm leftovers into useful products while giving rural economies a boost.