There are some impressive developments in the science of manufacturing various products from agriculturally produced natural raw materials such as rice or corn.   For instance, there are those developing single use disposable items, such as plates and cups (traditionally made of paper) from rice husks, mushrooms, and agar (also called agar agar, which is a gelatinous food substance made from a red algae).  This is much less harmful to the environment than pulp paper processes and degrades into practically nothing, with no harmful chemical remnants.

A company called Ecovative (http://www.ecovativedesign.com/), utilizing similar materials, creates a Styrofoam replacement packaging from rice and mushrooms.  This uses one-eighth of energy required to make traditional packaging material, which is mostly petroleum based.  The product, called an EcoCradle™, is manufactured from fungal mycelium and rice husks. The process is very clever; the manufacturing mold is filled with agricultural waste and the mushroom spores are added.  In a couple of weeks, the mushroom roots have grown throughout the waste forming a lightweight, but very dense, network.  Due to this organic network of roots, the product is stronger than traditional Styrofoam.  This product is readily biodegradable.

EcoCradle (Photograph courtesy of Ecovative)

Another design firm called The Way We See The World (http://www.thewayweseetheworld.com/) has developed edible drinking glasses, also made from agar (amazing stuff).  The cup is not rigid, but has some of the elements of Jello (it is called Jelloware).  It is cast in different flavors, such as lemon-basil, ginger-mint, or rosemary-beet, which are designed to compliment a corresponding drink (cold drinks only for now).  You can also eat the glass when you are finished using it – or it is readily composted with no toxic side-effects to the environment.

(Photographs courtesy of The Way We See The World)