A new packaging material based on mycelium – commonly known as mushroom roots – could soon become more commonplace, now that the material’s inventor Ecovative Design (Green island, New York / USA; www.ecovativedesign.com) has signed an agreement with global packaging giant Sealed Air Corporation (Elmwood Park, New Jersey / USA; www.sealedair.com) to cooperate on the production, sales and distribution of the new “EcoCradle” mushroom packaging. Details of the transaction were not disclosed, although Sealed Air said it does not expect it to be material to its financial results.

Founded in 2007, Ecovative is a material science company that develops home-compostable plastics based on mycelium. According to group CEO Eben Bayer, the material “provides an innovative and effective alternative to petrochemical based packaging at a much larger scale.” Claimed to be both cost-effective and high-performance, Ecovative says its products “serve as environmentally responsible alternative to traditional foam packaging, insulation and other plastic-based materials.”