IS TEAMING WITH MILLIONS OF

INCHES OF

MYCILIAN.

>> A WALK THROUGH THE WOODS IN

GREEN ISLAND NEW YORK IS

PLEASURE.

WHEN YOU ARE WITH TWO BARELY

30-YEAR-OLD GENIUSES LIKE GAVIN

MCINTYRE AND EVAN BAIR, YOU ARE

SURE TO STUMBLE ON SOMETHING

SCIENTIFICALLY COMPLEX.

>> YOU SEE THE

MYCILION GROWING

INTO THE LOG.

>> SOMEHOW IT INVOLVES A

MUSHROOM.

>> WE ARE HERE AT INCOE BAITIVE

DESIGN, I'M A COFOUNDER AND

SCIENTIST AT THIS BIOMATERIAL

COMPANY, WHERE WE TAKE LOCAL

FARM WASTE, MIXING IT WITH

TISSUE FROM MUSHROOMS AND

GROWING REPLACEMENTS FOR PLASTIC

USED IN PROTECTIVE PACKAGING.

>> WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? WHAT IS

THE PROBLEM WITH POLYSTERENE.

>> THERE'S PACKAGING, BUILDING

CONSTRUCTIVE,

TENSES OF MILLIONS

OF

DOLLARS WORTH USED.

THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE

EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

>> WE HAVE ALL SEEN THIS.

EVERY BIG PRODUCT IS PACKAGED IN

THIS MATERIAL.

THESE ARE MADE FROM

UNSUSTAINABLE

PETROCHEMICALS AND

CAN TAKE UP TO A HUNDRED YEARS -

MAYBE MORE - TO BIODEGRADE AND

LEAVE THE OTHER.

WE USE AGRICULTURAL WASTE, LIKE

CORN HUSKS AS A RESIN.

WE COMBINE THEM, WE GROW IT IN A

MOULD TO MAKE A SHAPE FROM

EVERYTHING FROM PACKAGING.

>> A MUSHROOM GROWING OUT OF A

TREE IS COMPRISE THE BY

MYCILIAN.

IF YOU LOOK

YOU YOU FIND FIBRES

THAT ARE GROWING THROUGH THE

SOIL OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN

TREES.

THAT'S GLUING THE MUSHROOMS ON

TO THE SIDE OF THE TREE OR THE

FOREST FLOOR.

MUSHROOMS.

>> WE NEVER GROW MUSHROOMS, WE

KEEP THE MYCILIAN IN A

VEGETATIVE STAGE.

THE CONCEPT WAS WHEN I SAW

MYSILIAN GROWING THROUGH WOOD

SHIPS,

KEEPING THEM TOGETHER.

USING WASTE DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL

I TEAMED UP WITH GAVIN.

>> IT TAKES SEVEN DAYS FOR A

PRODUCT TO BE GROWN.

WE ARE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU HOW IT

WORKS IN SECONDS.

>> WHAT IS THIS.

>> THE WASTE IS CLEANED, LIGHT

BEFORE ADDING THE MYCEL.

>> UM.

IT'S IPP CUBATED AND IT BECOMES

A SOLID WHITE MASS.

NEXT IT GOES THROUGH A TROMELL,

A MACHINE THAT GRIND THE WASTE.

>> THIS IS REMINDING ME OF

WILLIE WONGA AND THE CHOCOLATE

FACTORY AND

I'M AFRAID I'LL BE

SUCKED UP.

>> THIS IS MULCHED AND STACKED

INTO MOULDS.

THE MYCELIAN DOES WHAT IT DOES -

GROSS.

ALL THAT IS LEFT IS TO PAYING IT

AT A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 200 TO

GROWTH.

>> FRESHLY BASED FUNK US.

SO IT CAN BE SOLD TO

CORPORATIONS LIKE DELL COMPUTERS

AND OTHER FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES.

>> HERE IS WHAT IS COOL.

I CAN TAKE THE MATERIAL, BURY IT

IN MY YARD AND WITHIN A COUPLE

OF MONTHS IT WILL BIODEGRADE AND

ADD NUTRIENTS TO THE SAIL.

>> ECHO VEIL IS ABOUT TO

MANUFACTURE PLASTIC-FREE

PRODUCTS.

THE POSSIBILITYIES GO BEHIND

PROTECTIVE PACKAGING, AND THEY

ARE DEVELOPING HOME INSULATION.

>> DO YOU GUYS FEEL YOU ARE

HAVING AN IMPACT ON HUMANITY?

>> WE SEE IT LOOKING FORWARD

SENTURIES, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

THE ENVIRONMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR

OUR GRANDCHILDREN AND OUR

GRANDCHILDREN'S CHILDREN.

WE ARE TAKING BEST USE OF THE

NATURAL RESOURCES

TODAY.

>> Only on Al Jazeera America

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