How Ecovative Are You?

How Ecovative are You?

Teacher Background:

Polystyrene foam, commonly known by the name "Styrofoam" is one of the most common forms of packaging, despite the amount of energy it takes to create, and the amount of time it takes to decompose. Styrofoam is generally not accepted at municipal recycling centers and is commonly found as marine debris and litter. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes up to a thousand years to break down. When it comes to designing one-time use items, such as packaging, surely we can do better.

Ecovative, a packaging design company has figured out how to put nature’s recycling system to use. Mycelium, essentially mushroom roots, can be used to create packaging that molds to virtually any form. Evocative’s mushroom material blends local agricultural feedstocks with mycelium to create replacements to Styrofoam, insulation and other materials currently made by using non-renewable resources. Steelcase has worked closely with Ecovative to design protective shipping corners to protect tables when being sent to customers.

One of the concerns of the Mycelium base to their products is the fact that fungi has lots of spores, which is often a huge allergen concern to most people, and aren’t good for industrial processes. The developers of Ecovative have found that increasing the concentration of iron within the mixture and then baking the materials will causes the spores not to grow.

This project can be done at any level chemistry, environmental science, biology or engineering course. Key resources include: TED Talk by Eben Bayer, “Are Mushrooms the New Plastic?” It can be view at this link: http://www.ted.com/talks/eben_bayer_are_mushrooms_the_new_plastic?language=en

The project is split into two segments researching Cradle-to-Cradle and Designing mushroom materials. Depending on how much time you allow this could be done in a semester or just the lab in 7-12 days.

Safety information: Ecovative material when handled properly is safe. The material is not for human consumption and when dry may irritate airway if directly inhaled. Do not use flour in the mixture with individuals who have gluten allergies. Wear gloves and wash hands after use.

Learning Objectives:

· Research more about “cradle-to-cradle” sustainability

· Design a process/product that adheres to green chemistry principles

· Learn about degradation, polymers, material properties and engineering design criteria

Materials:

Water

Plastic wrap or plastic bags

Alcohol prep pads

Drying rack/baking sheet

Oven

Assorted tools/containers

Gloves

Flour

Thickening agent (guar gum)

Grow It Yourself (GIY) material

Imagination

Time required:

· Research project 6-8 weeks

· Mushroom materials lab 10-15 days

· Mushroom materials testing

NGSS:

· HS-ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

· HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Green Chemistry Principles Addressed:

Principles addressed: 1, 3, 6, 7, and 10

Teacher Prep:

· Preview the TED talk by Eben Bayer and William McDonough’s TED Talk on Cradle to Cradle Design

· Review Green Chemistry & Engineering Design principles

· Order GIY materials from http://www.ecovativedesign.com

How Ecovative are You?

Student Sheet

Part 1: Research Cradle-to-Cradle

Cradle-to-cradle is a term used in life-cycle analysis to describe a material or product that is recycled into a new product at the end of its life, so that ultimately there is no waste. Zero waste. Zero trash. Zero litter. Zero garbage. Nothing to throw away.

In the spirit of green chemistry, you are challenged to think outside the box using the “cradle-to-cradle” concept and look at agricultural and industrial waste. Agricultural and industrial waste is a major problem in the world today.

With this perspective in mind, you will first watch William McDonough's TED Talk: Cradle-to-Cradle Design. Next you will watch Eben Bayer’s TED Talk: Are Mushrooms the new plastic? After watching these two talks it will be your task to think about what you can do to make something “cradle-to-cradle” and write your thoughts in your science journal.

As you heard in William McDonough’s TED Talk all materials used in industrial or commercial processes fall into one of two categories: “technical” or “Biological” nutrients. Technical nutrientsare strictly limited to non-toxic, non-harmful synthetic materials that have no negative effects on the natural environment; they can be used in continuous cycles as the same product without losing their integrity or quality. In this manner these materials can be used over and over again instead of being “downcycled” into lesser products, ultimately becoming waste. (http://www.greenhearted.org/cradle-to-cradle.html)

This is the diagram that was shown on William McDonough’s TED talk.

Toward a C2C World
“Designs that celebrate this diverse range of concerns bring about a process of industrial re-evolution. Our products and processes can be most deeply effective when they resonate with the living world. Inventive machines that use the mechanisms of nature instead of harsh chemicals, concrete, or steel are a step in the right direction, but they are still machines — still a way of using technology to harness nature to human purpose. New technologies do not themselves create industrial revolutions. Unless we change their context, they are simply hyper-efficient engines driving the steamship of the first Industrial Revolution to new extremes.

Natural systems take from the environment but they also give something back. The cherry tree drops its blossoms and leaves while it cycles water and makes oxygen; the ant community redistributes nutrients through the soil. We can follow their cue to create a more inspiring engagement — a partnership — with nature.

We can create fabrics that feed the soil, giving us pleasure as garments and as sources of nourishment for our gardens.

We can build factories that inspire their inhabitants with sunlit spaces, fresh air, views of the outdoors, and cultural delights; factories which also create habitat and produce goods and services that re-circulate technical materials instead of dumping, burning, or burying them.

We can tap into natural flows of energy and nutrients, designing astonishingly productive systems that create oxygen, accrue energy, filter water, and provide healthy habitats for people and other living things.

As we have seen, designs such as these are generators of economic value too. When the cradle-to-cradle principles that guide them are widely applied, at every level of industry, productivity and profits will no longer be at odds with the concerns of the commons. We will be celebrating the fecundity of the earth, instead of perpetuating a way of thinking and making that eliminates it. We will be creating a world of abundance, equity and health and well on our way to an era of sustaining prosperity.”

— William McDonough and Michael Braungart

You and a partner will now work together to research more about “cradle-to-cradle” sustainability and design a process/product that adheres to this. Look around you, what could you change with the product and its process to make to make it cradle-to-cradle. You will need to research to current life cycle analysis of this product, what could be changed, etc. Your final product will be a research paper about this and also design sketches and life cycle analysis of your product.

Part 2: Mushroom Material Design

Create your own mushroom material design. What can you use this material for? You will be given “Grow it Yourself – GIY” material from Ecovative to make a useful product/item that could be used in today’s world. For inspiration check out:

http://giy.ecovativedesign.com/#successfulprojects

Materials:

- 3 cups of water

- Alcohol prep pads

- Plastic wrap or plastic bags

- Drying rack/baking sheet

- Oven

- Assorted tools - cake pans, cookie cutters, food containers, bowls, custom shapes.

- GIY material

- Gloves

- Flour

- Thickening agent (guar gum)

Procedure:

1. Rehydrating the material:

Un-tape and unroll the bag of material.

Measure out 3 cups of room temperature tap water and 4 tablespoons of flour in a separate container and then pour directly into the bag. Once the water and flour has been put in the bag, hold the bag closed and shake until all the materials are wet and not stuck together. Fold the bag over multiple times then fold in the corners. Do not fold over the white filter patch as this will prevent respiration. Then re-tape and let sit for 3-4 days.

2. Shaping:

After 3-4 days your material will be ready to shape. Sterilize your work surface with an alcohol prep pad. Put on gloves, and take the material out of the bag to form to the shape you would like. It is important to sterilize your work surface and wear gloves to prevent contamination of your experiment. Add a tablespoon of water at a time to dampen the material, then mix. Add guar gum to your mixture so that your materials start to stick together. Repeat until the material is clay consistency. Take the material and shape it by hand. When you have ﬁnished shaping your project, place it into a bag with a zipper seal. Poke a few holes into the plastic with a toothpick so the organism can breathe as it grows.

3. Growing:

The mycelium grows best around room temperature (20 to 25 °C). Maintaining a clean work environment is necessary to prevent contamination, so be sure to sanitize the surfaces near where your project is growing, you can do this with the 70% alcohol. . Plan for 7-10 days of growth. You will see the growth develop over time and condensation should form in the chamber. Once the parts turn white, wait 2 days, and then remove from the mold.

4. Drying:

Once your project has ﬁnished growing, the material needs to be dried. To dry, the parts must air dry on a baking rack for 1-3 days and then be dried in the oven at 100 °C for 60 minutes. This will fully deactivate mushroom growth.

Part 3: Materials Testing

Students will apply both knowledge of green chemistry and engineering design to design an object that is functional, economical and environmentally safer than existing alternatives.

Compare and contrast mushroom material samples with polystyrene samples.

Which is the best insulator? Test thermal insulation

Which biodegrades fastest? Biodegradability

Do the samples absorb water? Water resistance

Which material is better for the egg drop test? Impact resistance