Fungi-based materials  have a promising future in healthier products with higher biodegradable content. Mycelium is the underground root-like structure of mushrooms, known as “nature’s glue” and “internet” of the trees.  It can work as a binder with other materials (typically agricultural waste) to create sustainable alternatives for building insulation, foam, acoustical tile, textiles, and product packaging.   Some mushroom caps (fruiting bodies) can be applicable as a material filler or as a suede alternative. Yeasts are microorganisms within the fungi kingdom which can be fermented to produce materials. 

Fungi

10 products
How to Use This List

About Our Collections

The goal of our collections is to help promote transparency in the material ingredients of building products by fostering knowledge and awareness of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available, and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts.

Keep an eye out for the following symbols:
A Healthier Affordable Building Product

Products with the designation of "Healthier & Affordable" were specified and installed in at least one of our Case Studies of healthier affordable housing.

Available at the Donghia healthier Materials Library

The Donghia healthier Materials Library library is open to Parsons student and faculty. Learn more about access and opening hours here.

Low Embodied Carbon

“Embodied Carbon” is the total amount of carbon emitted during the process of making a material. *HML refers to a manufacturer's EPD to determine whether a product's A1-A3 carbon emissions falls within HML's threshold for Low Embodied Carbon.

New Product

This product has been added to the collection within the past six months.

Product in Development

Products with this designation identify they are currently scaling or only available in markets outside of the building industry. they could be experimental or in use in capsule collections.

Available in the EU

Products with this designation are currently available only in the European Union and identified as being an exemplary healthy option in the respective product group.

Ingredient Disclosures

There are several ways of evaluating a material’s health that we include with product information. Disclosures are reports by manufacturers about product ingredients, impacts, or other attributes.

Key Disclosures include:
Health Product Declaration (HPD)

A voluntary technical specification for reporting information on product contents and associated health information, intended to be the health-analogue to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

Declare Label

Declare is a transparency platform and product database that answers three questions:
1. Where does a product come from?
2. What is it made of?
3. Where does it go at the end of its life?

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

A standardized format for communicating the environmental effects associated with a product’s raw materials extraction, energy use, chemical makeup, waste generation, and emissions to air, soil, and water.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A reporting format that provides basic information about a material’s chemical ingredients, the potential safety hazards to installers, and recommended practices for installation.

USDA Certified Biobased Product Label

Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products.

Other
Learn More
Category Sub-category Manufacturer Product Ingredient Disclosures

MycoComposite

Available At the Donghia Materials Library

Ecovative uses mycelium as a binder for regionally sourced non-food agricultural waste to make a bio-based alternative to plastic foam packaging and insulation materials. MycoComposite is biodegradable, naturally flame resistant, and water resistant. Ecovative licenses this material to various partners such as Mushroom Packaging, Magic Mushrooms, Grown.bio, Bio Fab, and Grow.bio to create packaging, insulation, furniture pieces and kits.


Category
Packaging, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Ecovative
Product Website

Material composition*

Mycelium (binder), hemp (substrate), flour (nutrition)

*as reported by the manufacturer

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Cradle to Cradle | Platinum icon-pdf Created with Sketch.
Last Updated

February 27, 2023

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Reishi™

Reishi™ is a leather grown through a proprietary Fine Mycelium™ process. This leather is grown rapidly from engineered mycelium and agricultural by-products and is strong, flexible, and durable, just like conventional leathers. It is also water-resistant and uses chrome-free tanning and dyeing processes. Reishi™ can be embedded with a cotton or recycled polyester fabric (where the mycelium binds to the backing) or be grown as 100% mycelium depending on the application. Mycoworks uses fungi indigenous to their manufacturing locations.


Category
Textile, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Mycoworks
Product Website

Material composition*

mycelium, sawdust, agricultural by-products

*as reported by the manufacturer

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

February 09, 2024

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GrowSquares

Available At the Donghia Materials Library

GrowSquares operates under a simple philosophy: don’t put anything in your garden you wouldn’t put in your body. This ethos resonates throughout their products and ensures every item they deliver is made up entirely of 100% organic materials, all specifically designed to improve the growth of their plants. Simply place your squares on your selected location and follow the app’s personalized instructions as it guides you through the gardening process.

The mushroom-based scaffold is not only engineered to decompose, but it's biodegradation enriches both plants and soil by stimulating the development of microorganisms and improving soil moisture retention. The more you use GrowSquares, the better your soil becomes, as it allows for a greater variety of plants with each use.


Category
Garden Planter, Mycelium
Manufacturer
GrowSquares
Product Website

Material composition*

Mycelium:
Hemp
Mushroom Spawn
Flour

Soil Additives:
Kelp
Langbeinite
Green Sand
Feather
Biochar

Cellulose Lid:
Recycled Paper
Llama Manure
Biobased Starch

*as reported by the manufacturer

AVAILABLE SIZING

12" x 12" x 2"

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

September 18, 2019

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Mushroom® Packaging

Available At the Donghia Materials Library

Mushroom® Packaging is made from Ecovative MycoComposite, which is biodegradable, naturally flame resistant, and water resistant. The MycoComposite material is grown and dried within 7 days for ready-to-use packaging. It is 100% home-compostable and has a Class A Fire Retardant rating.


Category
Packaging, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Ecovative
Product Website

Material composition*

Mycelium (binder), hemp (substrate), flour (nutrition)

*as reported by the manufacturer

AVAILABLE SIZING

Custom designs

COLORS

Natural

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

March 15, 2022

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MushLume Lighting Collection

The MushLume Lighting Collection consists of pendants, sconces, and table lamps and is literally grown using Ecovative's MycoComposite - a combination of mycelium and regionally sourced non-food agricultural waste. After the mycelium has fully matured, the lampshades are de-molded, dried, and heated, creating a 100% biodegradable lampshade. MycoComposite is biodegradable, naturally flame resistant, and water resistant.


Category
Lighting, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Danielle Trofe
Product Website

Material composition*

Mycelium (binder), hemp (substrate), flour (nutrition)


*as reported by the manufacturer

AVAILABLE SIZING

Varies

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

April 26, 2022

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Insulation Panel

These panels are grown using Ecovative's MycoComposite - a combination of mycelium and regionally sourced non-food agricultural waste. They can be used between two walls or placed between two glass layers to showcase the mycelium texture. MycoComposite is biodegradable, naturally flame resistant, and water resistant.


Category
Board Insulation, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Grown.Bio
Product Website

Material composition*

Mycelium (binder), hemp (substrate), flour (nutrition)

*As reported by manufacturer

*as reported by the manufacturer

AVAILABLE SIZING

1200 mm x 600 mm x 60 mm

COLORS

Natural

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

April 03, 2022

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AirMycelium™

AirMycelium™ uses technology to control the geometrical growth of mycelia, which can produce a wide selection of 100% mycelium materials for foam and leather applications. AirMycelium™ foams and leathers are produced under the brand name Forager.


Category
Textile, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Ecovative
Product Website

Material composition*

Mycelium

*As reported by manufacturer

*as reported by the manufacturer

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

April 11, 2024

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Mogu Acoustics

Available At the Donghia Materials Library

Mogu Acoustics are grown using a proprietary fungal strain with hemp and cotton waste to create a variety tile shapes and colors. The mycelium tiles have excellent acoustic performance in the medium frequencies (250-1000 hz) and are naturally flame retardant. These tiles can be fixed in place with screws, clips, magnets or organized within FSC-sourced lime wood system called Foresta.

Note: These tiles are finished with a low-VOC, heavy-metal free, water-based paint. Per manufacturer, you can request no finish, but this will make the tiles more sensitive to stains and scratches.


Category
Acoustics, Mycelium
Manufacturer
Mogu
Product Website

Material composition*

Mogu Acoustic tiles are composed of mycelium, hemp shives, cotton, and optional paint finish (water-based, heavy-metal free bicomponent dispersion with low VOC)

*As reported by manufacturer

*as reported by the manufacturer

AVAILABLE SIZING

Varies

COLORS

Varies

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

July 11, 2023

Download data sheet icon-pdf Created with Sketch.

Fungi Force

Available in the EU

Fungi Force is an exterior wood stain that is made of two components - a water-based stain with Aureobasidium pullulans fungi and a linseed oil finish. It has a transparent matte black appearance. This is a living organism and therefore, the linseed oil serves as food for the fungus and also keeps the moisture out of the wood. The fungus protects the wood against UV radiation and acts as a fungicide. It is recommended to regularly treat with linseed oil during the first year of use. After the first year, regular maintenance is recommended every 3 to 5 years and can be reapplied as needed if color fades.

The fungus classifies as non-pathogenic to humans.

Finished wood products are available under the brand Xyhlo.


Category
Sealant / Surface, Oil_Linseed
Manufacturer
Fungi Force
Product Website

Material composition*

Aureobasidium pullulans fungi, linseed oil, water

*as reported by the manufacturer

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) icon-pdf Created with Sketch.
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last Updated

February 27, 2024

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Muskin

Available At the Donghia Materials Library
Product in Development

Muskin is a suede-like material from the fungi Phellinus ellipsoideus. It can be textile-backed or finished with a carnauba oil upon request. It is 100% biobased and compostable. According to the manufacturer, "It comes in different shapes and sizes and availability changes during the year. Limitations of size are not avoidable, due to its nature. One mushroom provides one Muskin, and no two are alike. Searching and providing natural, truly sustainable solution implies, foregoing large-scale processes and mindsets."


Category
Textile, Fungi
Manufacturer
Grado Zero Espace
Product Website

Material composition*

100% Phellinus ellipsoideus fungi

*as reported by the manufacturer

CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other icon-pdf Created with Sketch.
Last Updated

March 29, 2024

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The products in this collection have been evaluated holistically for their contents, performance and impact. To be considered, the product must have a primary ingredient derived or harvested from fungi or a fungal-derived substance. This primary ingredient must play a critical role in avoiding additives harmful to people and the planet in manufacturing and performance. 

Spec Guidance

Inquire with manufacturers for transparency and LCA information as much as possible. Materials new to the market may not yet have certifications and disclosures and often are made proprietarily.

Avoid mycelium-based materials which still contain petrochemicals in the product or in the manufacturing process.

Opt for materials which are fully biodegradable such as natural, unfinished mycelium.

Investigate energy used in the manufacturing processes. Opt for renewable and low-energy processes if possible.

Opt for feedstocks which come from a local waste stream. Avoid feedstocks which repurpose land from food production.

Opt for local and native fungal species.

Updated March 25, 2022
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