From Baby Diapers to Sensors? A Future Vision Where Fungi Become Infrastructure

The Day When "Just a Diaper" Becomes Future Compost

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary disposable diaper. However, upon opening the package, you'll find a small sachet of powder inside—its contents are freeze-dried "mushroom spores."

Sprinkle these spores on a used diaper, and it has the potential to return to soil in about a year, making a significant impact. This is the project of a startup called "Hiro," as introduced by the British newspaper, The Guardian.The Guardian

Every year, tens of billions of diapers are sent to landfills worldwide, with the plastic they contain taking hundreds of years to decompose. Hiro introduces the idea of "decomposing them with fungi." The aim is for the enzymes secreted by the fungi to break down the plastic mixed into the diapers, eventually turning it into compost. Reports suggest decomposition progressed in less than six months at the laboratory level, and tests are currently underway in simulated landfill environments.The Guardian

Of course, there are challenges. While some plastics, like polyester and polyurethane, are relatively easy for fungi to decompose, others, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, are much tougher. Researchers calmly point out that not "all plastics quickly turn into soil" at this stage.The Guardian

Still, the image of "diapers returning to soil" is powerful. Diapers, once a symbol of environmental issues, might transform into a circulating resource through the power of fungi.

5.1 Million Species: The "Third Kingdom" Takes Action

Why is there such a focus on fungi now?
The growing recognition that fungi are a vast, independent kingdom, neither plant nor animal, underlies this attention. Estimated to comprise 5.1 million species, many fungi remain unstudied, yet they continue to reveal astonishing capabilities.The Guardian

Particularly important is "mycelium." This thin, thread-like network runs underground or within wood, and is more accurately the main body than the fruiting bodies we call "mushrooms."

Mycelium proliferates on low-value organic matter like agricultural residues and wood chips, even under near-neglect conditions. In the process, it forms strong, lightweight "mycelium boards" and secretes enzymes that decompose wood, petroleum-derived compounds, and plastics.The Guardian

In essence, mycelium is both a "factory for creating materials" and a "facility for decomposition and purification." This "dual role" makes fungi extremely appealing in the context of sustainability.

Food Additives Also Turn to "Mushroom Factories"

In the Future is Fungi Awards, not only Hiro's diapers but also startups transforming fungi into "chemical factories" were recognized.The Guardian

For example, Michroma is a company that uses fungi to produce natural food colorants. Traditional vibrant artificial dyes are often petroleum-derived, raising concerns about CO₂ emissions during production and the environmental impact of the supply chain. In contrast, fungi naturally excel at producing diverse pigments and secondary metabolites, and growing them in fermentation tanks could allow for relatively clean mass production of the necessary pigments.The Guardian

Mycolever aims to replace emulsifiers used in cosmetics and personal care products with fungi-derived ingredients. Emulsifiers are crucial for blending oil and water, but many traditional ones rely on petrochemicals. Leveraging fungal metabolic pathways could help build a more sustainable supply chain.The Guardian

What's interesting here is that in the world of fungi, there are already candidates that can be used "almost as is" for complex molecules that would require genetic modification in bacteria or yeast. With their vast number of species and complex metabolic capabilities, fungi are being reevaluated as a "treasure trove" for bio-manufacturing.

Homes and Firefighting Could Change with Mycelium?

The application of mycelium isn't limited to chemicals.
By growing and drying mycelium in molds, lightweight boards can be created for use as insulation, packaging, and building materials. Unlike traditional foam resins derived from fossil fuels, these materials return to the soil after use. In Europe and the US, mycelium-based packaging is already being commercialized.The Guardian

Even more daring is the "mycelium firefighting foam" under development by Metanovation, based in Jordan. Many current firefighting foams contain PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," which pose long-term contamination risks to soil and groundwater. Metanovation aims to create a foam based on mycelium grown from waste-derived materials that naturally decomposes after use.The Guardian

If this technology matures, it could significantly reduce the dilemma of "polluting the environment after extinguishing a fire." Fungi are poised to offer new options for balancing firefighting and environmental protection.

Could Mushrooms Become Electronic Circuits? The Potential of "Living Sensors"

And perhaps the most sci-fi yet gradually becoming a reality is the world of "fungal electronics."
A team led by Professor Andrew Adamatzky at the University of the West of England in Bristol is investigating the electrical behavior of mycelium, aiming to make it function as simple circuit elements.The Guardian

Materials infused with mycelium can sometimes generate small electrical pulses when voltage is applied externally, behaving like an "oscillator" that ticks at a certain rhythm. Additionally, they exhibit properties similar to capacitors and filters, such as temporarily storing signals and changing response patterns based on input.The Guardian

Utilizing these characteristics, it might be possible to incorporate mycelium into "living sensors" that change output in response to light, pressure, or chemicals, or as part of "self-healing soft robots." A new category of "biodegradable gadgets" that decompose naturally and can be reused as compost might emerge.

Of course, a full-scale "mushroom computer" won't appear immediately. Most of this is still at the lab level, but the very purpose of the Future is Fungi Awards is to support such "seemingly outrageous yet logical ideas."The Guardian

Surprise and Skepticism Spread on Social Media

These news stories are spreading not only through scientific media but also on social media.
On X (formerly Twitter) and Mastodon, posts sharing this article have garnered various reactions.

• "The idea of 'sprinkling spores' with every diaper change feels like a new era of parenting."

• "If mushrooms can eat plastic, I'd love them to come to my closet."

• "Just the sound of 'fungal computer' could make a whole sci-fi movie."

• "I love that it's not a 'magic cure-all' but 'mushrooms in the right place'—it's so realistic."

From environmentally conscious users, there are hopeful voices like "If non-petroleum-based dyes and emulsifiers become widespread, it might change the axis of choosing cosmetics." Meanwhile, others point out the unique risks of biotechnology, saying, "Safe design to prevent spores from becoming invasive species is a must," and "Evaluating by-products during decomposition is necessary."

From Japanese users, comments like "Miso and soy sauce are also powered by fungi. Japan is the original 'fungi tech,' so we should collaborate more with the world" can be seen.

For Japan, which has long been familiar with koji mold and yeast, this "mushroom revolution" feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new.

Yet Fungi Are Not "Jack-of-All-Trades"

Scientists uniformly caution, "Fungi are powerful allies, but they won't solve everything."
Even if Hiro's diapers become widespread, without lifestyle changes like reducing diaper usage or expanding options for reusable cloth diapers, it won't fundamentally solve the waste problem.The Guardian

Regarding plastic decomposition, not all materials can be broken down at the same speed, and operating on an industrial scale involves numerous hurdles, including safety, cost, and regulations. Mycelium building materials and firefighting foams also need to clear practical issues like durability, certification, and compatibility with existing infrastructure to be accepted in the market.The Guardian

The key is not "Fungi vs. Petroleum" but the idea of assembling a "portfolio of diverse technologies," including fungi. Only by combining them with renewable energy, recycling technologies, and behavioral change initiatives can the potential of fungi be fully maximized.

How to Engage with the "Mushroom Engineers" Underfoot

Still, the future vision that fungi offer is exciting.

Reducing mountains of waste, replacing parts of the petrochemical industry, and transforming into building materials and sensors—the fact that the protagonist of such a story has often been disliked as "mold" or "the cause of decay" is almost exhilarating.

Today, the network of mycelium continues to quietly extend beneath our feet.
Whether we formally welcome a part of it as "nature's engineers" into our team depends on our choices moving forward.

Diapers, cosmetics, building materials, firefighting, electronics—
Depending on how "mushroom tech" grows, life ten years from now might look quite different.