Plastic pollution is a problem that we need to deal with immediately, before it completely overwhelms us.
To that end, the best result would be if we could find a way to turn the problem into a solution itself. And a couple of researchers may have done just that.
Images courtesy: Livin Studio
Back in 2012, a couple of Yale students discovered ?a rare species of mushroom in the Amazon rainforest called Pestalotiopsis microspora. The fungus was incredible because it proved to be capable of living solely on a diet of polyurethane, the main ingredient in plastic products. Even more so, they found it was capable of living without oxygen, meaning it can flourish even at the bottom of a landfill for instance.
Scientists have since considered how this rare mushroom could serve as the core of community waste treatment centers. Instead of the way we currently dump and burn trash, these mushrooms could be used to decompose the massive amounts of plastic. They could even be grown and used this way in composting systems at home.
What's even cooler is that, since then we've discovered other mushrooms that are also capable of consuming plastic. More importantly, some of them eliminate plastic and result in mushrooms that can still be eaten.
Designer Katharina Unger led such a study with Utrecht University in the Netherlands, in partnership with another designer Julia Kaisinger. They came up with a setup they called the Fungi Mutarium.
This was basically a mini-garden allowing them to cultivate two fungi strains-Schizophyllum commune and Pleurotus ostreatus. Both of these are not only commonly eaten, but can also "eat" massive amounts of plastic.
The team first sterilized the plastic they were using in UV light, also starting the degradation process. That plastic is then placed in a little cup-like piece with a small pod of agar, which is a jelly-like substance made from red algae. The fungus mycelium is then added to these cups, and left to grow in the pod, eventually consuming the plastic and turning into a fluffy mushroom-like structure.
This whole process takes about two months, but the researchers are still working on a way to speed along the process. Additionally, you can suppose flavour these cups in a multitude of ways.
Though Unger herself sampled the mushrooms with no negative effects, what's left is for scientists to confirm that it's indeed not toxic anymore so they can be safely consumed. If and when that happens, it means we could have a way to solve both our plastic pollution problem as well as help fix the food crisis in one stroke.
"Our research partner [Utrecht University] expects that the digestion will go much quicker once processes are fully researched and optimized," Unger said. "Imagine it as being used with a community or small farm setting."
It may not be much yet, but it's a solid start. Especially when you consider these special mushrooms are essentially reducing plastic's rate of decomposition from 400 years to just about two months.