From petrochemical plants to natural bio-reactors, from traditional polystyrene to agro-industrial by-products combined with mycelium: industrial packaging is making an increasingly decisive turn towards sustainability. Credit also goes to the vision of Smush Materials, an innovative startup born within the Politecnico di Milano and incubated by PoliHub, which has developed proprietary technology to replace single-use plastics – in particular polystyrene and expanded foams – with myco-based packaging materials, i.e. based on fungal mycelium.

From agro-industrial by-products and mycelium to a biomaterial for packaging

We are talking, after all, about a market – that of industrial packaging – in very strong expansion, with projections indicating a global value of over 74 billion dollars and forecasting that the 97 billion threshold will be reached within the next five years. In Italy, the packaging sector as a whole exceeds 35 billion euros in turnover, driven by technological innovation, exports and (precisely) sustainability. This is also because, at present, as much as 40 per cent of the plastic produced globally ends up in packaging.

Smush Materials' production process is an example of circular economy that essentially reduces waste to zero. The startup uses organic by-products from the agro-industry (which have no economic value) as raw materials, combining them with mycelium, the root system of fungi. Through an advanced fermentation process, the mycelium acts as a natural biological binder, digesting agricultural residues and growing to fill the desired shape. The result is a structural biomaterial, 100 per cent natural, designed specifically for secondary packaging and the protection of heavy or fragile goods. Compared to traditional expanded foams, the process also requires far lower investment in moulds and equipment, making the production of customised packaging in small and medium batches economically viable.

With Smush Materials, CO2 emissions are cut by 90 per cent compared to polystyrene

The solutions developed by Smush Materials are designed to meet the strict geometric and protective requirements of the logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors. For example, corner pieces and dividers, designed to protect edges and separate products within packaging, as well as blocks, sheets and loose-fill chips. Alongside the standard range, there are bespoke solutions created according to the client's specific needs: Smush Materials does not simply produce the material, but takes full responsibility for the design, prototyping and validation of tailor-made packaging solutions.

The material produced by the startup is comparable to traditional plastics in terms of impact resistance, robustness, thermal insulation, waterproofing and fire-retardant behaviour. Indeed, companies choose these solutions primarily for their mechanical performance, the ability to create custom packaging and their industrial competitiveness. But compared to polystyrene – a petroleum-derived material that degrades extremely slowly, releasing microplastics into the environment – Smush Materials' solution cuts CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent during production. The product's end of life is also circular: once used, the packaging can be broken apart and placed in the collection for compostable materials, turning into compost in approximately 45 days at dedicated industrial facilities.