Naturally Genius on TVNZ Breakfast: Growing a Better Alternative to Polystyrene Packaging

From an encounter with plastic pollution in Indonesia to developing a home-compostable alternative to polystyrene packaging in New Zealand, Naturally Genius founder and CEO Shaun Seaman joined TVNZ Breakfast on Thursday 15 October to share the story behind the company and its mission to change the future of protective packaging.

The interview followed Naturally Genius exhibiting at Auckland Startup Week's Challengers' Expo, where the company attracted attention for its approach to replacing expanded polystyrene (EPS) with protective packaging grown from mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi.

Speaking with TVNZ Breakfast presenter Tova O'Brien and Ali Pugh, Shaun discussed the inspiration behind Naturally Genius, the challenges of developing a new material, and the company's progress towards commercial-scale production.

From plastic pollution to a packaging solution

The idea behind Naturally Genius began thousands of kilometres from New Zealand, while Shaun was surfing off an island in Indonesia. Expecting pristine blue water, he instead encountered plastic waste floating in the ocean and accumulating along the beaches.

"It was a profound moment for me,"

Shaun explained during the interview.

That experience prompted a question that would eventually lead to the creation of Naturally Genius: could there be a better way to protect products without contributing to the world's growing plastic waste problem?

Shaun began exploring alternatives to conventional packaging materials and was introduced to the remarkable properties of fungi. What followed was six years of research, development and experimentation and 300 failed experiments, as the team worked to turn a promising natural material into a commercially viable packaging solution.

Today, Naturally Genius is manufacturing protective packaging and shipping products to customers.

Growing packaging from nature

Naturally Genius produces protective packaging using mycelium and farm waste, creating a home-compostable alternative to conventional polystyrene foam.

Unlike traditional mycelium packaging, which is grown directly into its final shape, Naturally Genius grows its material into pellets that can then be moulded into protective packaging using existing manufacturing equipment.

This approach allows manufacturers to replace conventional polystyrene with a naturally derived material, without needing to fundamentally change their production processes. It also opens the door to manufacturing at a global scale.

And while expanded polystyrene can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, Naturally Genius packaging is designed to break down naturally in home composting conditions, typically within three to six months under suitable conditions. 

This means consumers can return the packaging to nature after it has served its purpose, without needing specialist recycling facilities.

For manufacturers, the opportunity is equally significant. Naturally Genius is developing packaging that can replace polystyrene in existing protective packaging applications, including moulded packaging for appliances, consumer electronics, wine and other fragile products.

The scale of the polystyrene problem

Expanded polystyrene remains widely used because it is lightweight, protective and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Its disposal presents a significant challenge.

The material is bulky, easily fragments into smaller pieces and is difficult to recover through conventional household recycling systems.

As Shaun highlighted during the interview, the scale of global polystyrene production is enormous, with vast quantities used to protect products that may only spend a short time in transit before the packaging is discarded.

Naturally Genius is focused on addressing this problem at its source by giving manufacturers an alternative material they can use to protect their products.

Rather than relying on consumers to find ways to dispose of polystyrene responsibly, the company aims to make the packaging itself part of the solution.

From five years of setbacks to growing global demand

One of the most encouraging parts of the TVNZ Breakfast conversation was Shaun's update on the commercial progress Naturally Genius has made.

After years spent developing the material and manufacturing process, the company is now producing packaging for customers from its Auckland facility.

Shaun also spoke about the growing interest from major international brands seeking alternatives to conventional plastic foam.

"If you name the large, big global brand name, they've probably reached out to us,"

he told Breakfast.

That level of interest presents the company's next challenge: increasing manufacturing capacity to meet demand.

Naturally Genius is now focused on scaling production and making its packaging available to more manufacturers, particularly those producing larger, heavier or fragile products.

Shaun shared an ambition that illustrates the company's direction: within the next few years, consumers could be unpacking a new washing machine protected by Naturally Genius packaging rather than polystyrene.

It's a practical example of how a material grown from nature could become part of everyday products around the world.

Watch Naturally Genius on TVNZ Breakfast

The interview ended with a fitting mushroom-related pun from Tova O'Brien:

"We should ex-spore this further."

We couldn't agree more.

Watch Shaun's full TVNZ Breakfast interview to hear more about the journey behind Naturally Genius, the science of mycelium packaging and what's next for the company.

Interested in working with Naturally Genius?

Whether you're a brand looking to replace polystyrene with sustainable protective packaging, or a manufacturer interested in partnering with us, we'd love to hear from you.

Looking for a sustainable packaging solution? Naturally Genius can help you transition away from polystyrene with home-compostable protective packaging. Enquire now

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