Mycelium-Based Binders and Packaging Materials: Sustainable, High-Performance Alternatives for the Hygiene Industry
Wednesday, November 12th, 11:00 am ET
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.
Industry Expert: Sanjay Wahal
Dr. Sanjay Wahal is a seasoned sustainability strategist, systems thinker, technology innovator, and business leader with deep expertise in decarbonization technologies, bio-based materials, and circular economy solutions. With more than three decades of experience spanning academia, research, and industry, he has been at the forefront of pioneering innovations that bridge science with commercial application—particularly in sustainable materials, engineered absorbent nonwovens, vegan leather, biopolymers, wipes, clean energy, and carbon reduction solutions. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Technology Innovation at FyterTech Nonwovens.
As Founder and President of Decarbonization, LLC, an advisory and consulting firm operating at the intersection of science, innovation, AI, and market transformation, Dr. Wahal has guided startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global investors in accelerating their transition to low-carbon pathways and sustainable business models. His collaborations with leading climate-tech ventures and impact investors emphasize innovation, accountability, finance, and inclusive strategies to drive systemic decarbonization.
Dr. Wahal holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, an MBA in Strategy and Innovation from Vanderbilt University, and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. He began his professional journey as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working under the mentorship of Professor Robert A. Brown, a globally renowned chemical engineer and former President of Boston University. He is also the co-inventor of 21 patents, granted or pending.
His forthcoming book, The eCarbon Card Blueprint: Digital Solutions for Carbon Accountability – India as a Model, presents a data-driven, technology-centric framework to accelerate the global transition toward net-zero emissions.
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