Hiro Technologies, a firm in Austin, has introduced MycoDigestible Diapers, disposable diapers containing a packet of fungus that decomposes plastic. After a week or two, the moisture in urine, feces, and the surrounding environment activates the fungus. The fungus packet should be thrown away with each diaper, initiating the biodegradation process right in the garbage. These plastic-eating fungi diapers offer a novel solution to the growing landfill crisis caused by traditional disposable diapers.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2018, almost 4 million tons of diapers were discarded in the United States, with little to no recycling or composting. The first disposable diaper ever produced could still be in a landfill since these diapers can take hundreds of years to decompose. Hiro Technologies sought unusual answers to this persistent environmental problem and discovered one in fungus.

Fungi vs. Plastic: Scientific Backing

Tero Isokauppila, a co-founder of Hiro Technologies and the creator of Four Sigmatic, a firm that produces therapeutic mushrooms, pointed out that fungi have evolved to decompose complicated substances like lignin found in trees, which resembles plastics in its carbon backbone. He says more than 100 fungal species are now known to degrade plastic.

Yale researchers discovered in Ecuador in 2011 that a fungus called Pestalotiopsis microspora could consume polyurethane, a common material, even in low-oxygen settings like landfills. Three sealed jars in Hiro’s lab show how a diaper breaks down over time. After nine months, the treated diaper becomes a black, soil-like substance, which Isokauppila described as “just digested plastic and essentially earth.”

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Future Plans and Market Response

According to co-founder Miki Agrawal, who previously founded the period underwear firm Thinx, the business now sells “diaper bundles” online for $35 per week. Customers and investors are already interested in the product introduced approximately a month ago. Agrawal stated that the business purposefully selected diapers as its initial product since they are the primary source of plastic trash in homes, but she would not disclose particular numbers.

The business intends to increase its research on decomposition under various climatic conditions to make a public statement about its efficacy in the real world. Plans are also underway to include plastic-eating fungi diapers in additional personal care items, including feminine hygiene products and adult diapers. Agrawal stressed the significance of addressing the long-term effects of home garbage, noting that when people toss things out, they seldom ask where “away” is.

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