Can you make insulation from mushrooms?

One question we often come across concerns the sustainability of different materials and technologies, be it solar panels or fiberglass insulation.  The answer is that each material has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, so we should do our research before making a decision.  In the following months we will review and evaluate different materials and technologies so it’s easier to decide.
Material science is experiencing radical innovation, particularly when it comes to natural materials.  For example, Ecovative has started to use mushroom to grow packaging and insulation.

What this means is that no oil is used as feedstock for the material and that once it’s time to discard it, you can just put it in a forest or a garden and it will enrich the soil and go back to nature’s cycle.
Their insulations products are not available to the general public yet, but we’ll keep you updated and add them to our list of options when they are ready.  Among the striking features that this natural insulation material shows are:

• – Fire resistance
• – Afordable price for the R-value (how little heat it lets through)
• – Being able to shape it into standard sized panels

Want to learn more? Watch the TED talk: Eben Bayer: Are mushrooms the new plastic?
or read more about Ecovative Materials.