Sanjay Wahal, PhD, Founder & President, Decarbonization, LLC

Mycelium-based binders and packaging materials are emerging as scalable, biodegradable replacements for fossil-derived foams and synthetic absorbent components, offering a unique combination of functional performance, environmental benefits, and waste-to-value potential. This presentation will explore recent advances in fungal biotechnology, substrate engineering, and modular manufacturing, with a focus on valorizing cellulose-rich residues from the pulp and paper sector as feedstocks. Comparative performance data with expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane (PU), and bio-based foams (PLA, PHA) demonstrate mycelium’s advantages in lifecycle metrics—significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, lower embodied energy, rapid compostability, and the elimination of microplastic pollution.

Applications relevant to the hygiene sector—including absorbent cores, spill management materials, and protective packaging for sensitive products—will be examined alongside commercial case studies that highlight both opportunities and scale-up challenges, such as growth cycle variability, material standardization, and cold-chain requirements for spawn viability. The session will also outline research priorities in strain optimization, substrate formulation, hybrid composites, and Industry 4.0-enabled process control, as well as policy drivers like plastic bans, green public procurement, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks.

By integrating material science, industrial ecology, and market insights, this presentation will position mycelium-based systems as a viable, high-impact pathway for delivering sustainable performance in hygiene and absorbent product applications—aligning industry innovation with circular economy and decarbonization goals.