Congressman Paul Tonko today toured Ecovative Design in Green Island, an award winning clean tech manufacturer that produces biodegradable fungus-based foams that can be used in packaging and other applications as an environmentally friendly replacement for Styrofoam and other petroleum-based packaging products.  Ecovative Design, which was founded in 2007 by RPI students Gavin McIntrye and Eben Bayer, is in the planning stages of an expansion of manufacturing capacity to meet future production. Current clients include Steelcase Furniture, based in Michigan, and Dell Computer. Ecovative designed EcoCradle Mushroom Packaging specifically to protect delicate electronic equipment for Dell.

Congressman Tonko was joined on the tour by Laban Coblentz and Dick Frederick of RPI – Ecovative got its start in the RPI Business Incubator.

“Ecovative Design is another local example that proves federal investment leads to innovation and the creation of new jobs,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “What we see here is the product of hard work and enterprise, and the leveraging of federal investments to research a cutting edge product that has the potential to transform the packaging industry with an enormous environmental benefit. We must protect these federal investments in new technologies – they are the key to our future economic growth. Some in Washington want to cut these investments in innovation -- but we cannot afford to let this happen. I will continue to fight in Washington to make smarter choices when it comes to reducing our spending.”

“At Rensselaer we challenge our students to change the world, and Eben Bayer, Gavin McIntyre and the entire Ecovative Design team are doing just that.  An idea nurtured on our campus, and fueled by government support, has emerged as a game-changing endeavor with local impact and global reach,” Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Chief of Staff Laban Coblentz said.  “There is no silver bullet that will solve the energy and climate change challenge.  The solution lies in a thousand different scientific discoveries and technological innovations, just like we see here.  Ecovative Design is a terrific example of the type of innovative enterprise that business, government, and academia must work together to spark and nurture if we are to revive the economy – locally, nationally, and globally – and protect our planet.”

Ecovative has leveraged federal investment through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to attract the private investment necessary to grow and commercialize its products. The federal grants have come through the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency. These investments have enabled Ecovative to perform the cutting edge research and create the products it sells – and create new jobs. Ecovative currently employs 20 people full-time, and is currently looking to fill additional positions.

The packaging developed by Ecovative is made by using mycelium, a fungal network of threadlike cells that is grown to bond together agricultural by-products like oat hulls and cotton burrs. In about a week, the mycelium envelops the by-products, forming a strong, lightweight material perfect for packaging. The product is then heated to stop the growth. The entire process does not include any watering or application of petroleum-based chemicals. The packaging also carries the added benefit of being environmentally friendly – it is biodegradable and can be used in home composts.

Today’s tour is the latest in a series of visits Congressman Tonko has made to local manufacturers to highlight their efforts and successes in job creation. Other companies he has toured include X-Ray Optical Systems in East Greenbush, STS Steel in Schenectady, BullEx in Latham, and Beech-Nut’s new manufacturing facility in the Town of Florida.

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