The e-commerce and online shopping boom that increased during the height of the pandemic opened people's eyes to the harmful effects the packaging from their shopping habits has on the planet.

Three in four people worldwide want single-use plastics to be banned as soon as possible, up from 71% in 2019, while those who said they favoured products with less plastic packaging rose to 82% from 75%. 85% of respondents globally also said they want manufacturers and retailers to be held responsible for reducing, reusing and recycling plastic packaging, leading brands to think of new and innovative ways to help society ditch its dependence on plastic.

In the UK The Magical Mushroom Company (MMC) is winning support from investors by replacing single-use plastics with mushroom-based packaging alternatives. Already serving conscious clients such as Ffern, Lush, and Seedlip, by combining its agricultural know-how with new and sustainable materials MMC is creating value from waste and disrupting the single-use plastic industry.