Biodegradable bodyboards made from mushrooms

The Magical Mushroom Company wants to produce bodyboards from mushrooms and hemp scraps. New boards that would reduce the impact of entry-level products used in large numbers on beaches.

Bodyboards and magic mushrooms

British company Magical Mushroom Company, or MMC, is working on a new way of making bodyboarding boards, using mushroom mycelium. Founded in 2019, the company uses this natural material to make biodegradable packaging. It now wants to transpose its technology to the manufacture of bodyboards for the general public, based on the observation that many boards bought during the summer have only a short use, while their manufacture using petroleum-derived foams has a high impact on the environment.

Biodegradable boards

Studies were conducted with Tim Lupton, co-founder of Predn Surf Co, a British board sports specialist. The material, made from agricultural co-products, mainly hemp, is bonded using mushroom mycelium, whose chitin is a natural polymer acting as a glue, naturally resistant to water and fire.

The challenge for the designers currently developing the prototypes is to achieve the right board strength, while retaining flexibility. After 6 days of mushroom growth and drying, the board is ready to sail. According to its designers, the board can be biodegraded in 50 days and composted at sea in 180 days.

The MMC teams are targeting the market for entry-level boards, which are often almost single-use, even though their impact is high.

A crowdfunding campaign is underway to finalize the launch.

Source: BoastNews