Fungi Solutions is the next-gen biotech startup you need to know.
Meet Amanda Morglund and Camden Cooke, Co-founders of Fungi Solutions, who are on a mission to rescue valuable resources from landfill to produce Mycelium based packaging and product solutions.
We caught up with Amanda to learn more about how they source and build their products, their Myco-Cycling program, and their big CSF plans for 2022. Excerpts from our chat below:
What is Fungi Solutions? And what led to the inception of it?
Fungi Solutions is a next generation biotech startup founded by Amanda Morgan and Camden Cooke to address the need for more accessible, sustainable and circular material solutions and waste management in Australia and the world. We established our organisation to support small businesses and the community to responsibly manage their waste materials and rescue valuable resources from landfill. We collaborate with fungi by harnessing their adaptive capabilities to produce circular and clean Myco-Materials (a soil biome improving, home compostable alternative to single use plastic packaging), recapture resources and remediate toxic pollutants.
How did you two meet? And what led you both to work together?
We first met in 2019 when Camden inherited his grandmother's vintage sewing machine and wanted to learn to sew. I had just graduated from my Bachelor (honours) in fashion design at RMIT and was freelancing as a tailoring tutor, while also working on research to convert waste textiles into new materials using fungi, after seeing a real opportunity to create value from the discarded textile scrap of the fashion industry. Together we made a fantastic jacket and through the process Camden became inspired and passionate about the potential of fungi to reclaim resources and repair damaged ecosystems. So we decided that we would build an enterprise to make that a reality in Australia!
Could you tell us a bit more about how you source and build your products?
Fungi Solutions operates using a circular business model that reclaims resources destined for landfill through collaboration with our community partners and uses those materials to create clean, home compostable packaging alternatives to single use plastics. By establishing community partnerships we aim to foster a sense of collective responsibility and empowerment. This pilot Myco-Cycling program is the first of its kind in the world. From our commercial launch in May 2021 Fungi Solutions has diverted 1,639 litres of waste from landfill in collaboration with our community partners. This has resulted in the prevention of 183.7 kg of C02 being released through sequestering within the mycelium materials. These materials have been collected from small to medium local enterprises that are seeking responsible waste management solution alternatives to landfill in our council area of Darebin. This waste has been used to support research and development as well as produce our Myco-Material packaging solutions.
What’s surprised you on your journey so far?
We knew that setting up an organisation like Fungi Solutions would present significant challenges alongside the opportunity to create a positive impact. What surprised us though was the shift in mindset and real appetite for hopeful solutions that has grown in individuals and organisations recently. Sustainability is no longer a checklist item or a hassle but an opportunity to approach challenges with creativity, supported by a collective effort to build a less wasteful and healthier future. We find this shift makes it an inspiring space to work in.
What are some challenging aspects of running an impact-driven model? What sorts of hiccups have you had to overcome?
One of the challenges of running an impact driven business is overseeing the logistics and scope required to address the scale of the waste management solutions needed, paired with a changing landscape around resource recovery and increasing demand on shipping services. Laying the foundations for those materials to be collected and converted into new materials is just the first step in our journey that we have needed to address. We were founded with very minimal resources and have had to work out creative ways to leverage what was available to us to make an impact with very little.
What is your most favourite aspect of your company?
We are most excited by the opportunity for Fungi solutions to make a positive impact and revolutionise the way we view and handle waste. We are all about reimagining the value of those resources and recovering them from landfill. Rather than a recycling approach, we are passionate about upcycling and supporting the transition to a circular economy.
And what has the response from customers been like?
Everyone has been thrilled that products like this are produced here in Australia and there has been an overwhelming willingness to make more sustainable choices through every industry that we work with. There is a very real demand for regenerative practices that is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.
What does success look like for Fungi Solutions? What are some goals you aim to meet?
Our mission is to create opportunities for resource recovery, environmental repair and responsible material choices through education and training. We'd love to see our grassroots Myco-Cycling venture become an established Australian industry that firmly places us as leaders in the Circular Economy. Success to us is having a positive impact on our community and environment through our accessible sustainable solutions. We'd like to see Myco-Cycling facilities across Australia to capture and convert resources where ever there is waste being generated, creating economic opportunities nation wide.
What gets you guys excited for a new work week?
Collaborating with the Fungi and our amazing community network drives us each and every week. Through the partnerships formed we see great potential and impact being generated, driven by the passion of the individuals, communities and our team.
What’s on the horizon for Fungi Solutions?
We are ready to begin tackling some substantial challenges in waste management and grow our organisation to meet the market demand for Myco-Material products. We will be commencing an equity crowdfunding campaign through Birchal in the new year (2022) to see Fungi Solutions grow to the next level and generate some fantastic outcomes for our communities. We're also in the process of developing new products and working toward B-corp accreditation so stay tuned for some exciting developments in the new year!
You can check out Fungi Solutions and the work they do here.
