A Texas startup, Hiro Technologies, has proposed an unexpected solution to the environmental problem of non-degradable disposable diapers: using fungi to dispose of them. Its product, called MycoDigestible Diaper, is sold as a set with a special fungal mixture that is activated by moisture and organic matter inside a used diaper.
The key role in the process is played by the tropical fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora, which can break down plastic even without oxygen. In laboratory conditions, the diaper material is turned into soil that is safe for the environment in nine months. The diapers are already available for purchase online at a price of $35 for a weekly set.
Every minute, more than 300,000 diapers are thrown away worldwide—about 90 billion per year. They can take hundreds of years to decompose. Of course, it’s too soon to say that fungi will solve the entire plastic problem. But the fact that they have already started breaking down billions of diapers is a strong reason to rethink how we deal with waste. It seems fungi have a good chance of earning a place among the tools of eco-friendly technologies of the future.
