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Design and development of nutrient enriched biodegradable edible cups using Agaricus bisporus
Summary
This research developed nutrient-enriched edible cups made from Agaricus bisporus (button mushroom) material as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic cutlery, finding that mushroom composites degrade by 94% mass loss within 60 days of composting. The study identifies scalability and consumer acceptance as remaining challenges for widespread adoption of mushroom-based biodegradable food serviceware.
This research looks at edible cutlery, or more specifically edible cutlery made from mushroom material, as a sustainable alternative to help combat plastic pollution. Conventional plastic cutlery lasts for centuries, polluting the environment and endangering aquatic species. Edible solutions can be made from sorghum, wheat, and Agaricus bisporus (the button mushroom) and are more beneficial for the environment because they are biodegradable, nutritionally enriched, and reduce the negative impacts of processing and transport. Research has shown that mushroom composites are more structurally sound and they degrade quickly (by 94% mass loss in 60 days of composting) and can therefore be repurposed and composted in accordance to the circular economy framework which puts a value on organic waste. Even though scalability, consumer acceptance, and perception are still significant challenges conditioned by the snack-food landscape, sensory research appears indicating that products consisting of 50% mushroom-partition or similar products perform very well as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic single-use cutlery.