The Life Box™ was invented by Paul Stamets, mycologist, author and founder of Fungi Perfecti®, LLC. The Life Box™ suite of products builds upon the synergy of fungi and plants by infusing spores and seeds together inside of packaging materials that can be planted.
Thanks very much to Katie Birkhauser for taking the time to answer our questions.
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Who created Life Box
The Life Box was created by mycologist, and author Paul Stamets. Paul owns Fungi Perfecti, and recently he started two sister companies devoted to the Life Box project. Planted Planet Productions, LLC which manufactures and distributes wholesale and custom orders of Life Boxes. As well as Life Box, LLC which focuses on smaller quantity orders for the average consumer.
What do you do and why do you do it?
On the outside the Life Box looks like your average brown corrugate box used for shipping parcels, though it is has printing on the outside that tells the recipient that it’s a Life Box, to plant it, grow trees, and help save the planet. Inside the corrugations of the cardboard are tree seeds and spores of mycorrhizal fungi. When the box is torn up, soaked, refrigerated (to stratify the tree seeds), peeled apart and planted, it will sprout trees (native to the continental U.S. and Canada) that are in symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi.
The mycorrhizal fungi enable the trees to be more likely to survive adverse conditions, such as low nutrient soils, drought, disease and pests (though, they still need to be watered regularly and properly cared for in their early years). The tree seeds themselves are all native to the various regions of the continental U.S. and Canada, and currently the Life Box is only sold in this area. In the future, however, it is our goal to create native species mixes for the various regions of the world.
We provide the Life Box to the public because we know that this planet is currently in many levels of crisis. Many of which are caused by humans. The sheer amount of packaging that we use on a daily basis is enormous, unsustainable, and contributes to these crises. Our goal is to take steps to provide consumers with a packaging option that, instead of going to the landfill or recycling plant, can be absorbed back into the earth and sprout new life that will help reforest the planet, clean our air, sequester carbon, and will more than replace the trees that were used to create the packaging itself, among many other reasons. It is our responsibility to leave the planet a better place for the generations to come after us. We believe that the Life Box has enormous exponential potential to help reforest the planet by enabling individuals to plant trees.
Greatest achievement to date? We have received recognition for the Life Box, by receiving a “Green Packy” Award from the Whole Foods Market Green Coalition and Sustainable Business Coalition. The award recognized the Life Box as an embodiment of the three principles of Responsible Packaging Standards: Transparency, Ecological Principles and Extended Producer Responsibility.
Though, even greater than the recognition of an award, is the recognition and support we receive from individuals who are moved by our product and want to become part of the Life Box project by spreading the word and planting Life Boxes. Since it’s release to the public in January 2010, we have placed almost 5 million tree seeds into Life Boxes which have been and will be put into the hands of willing and excited individuals, who will foster the growth of these baby trees on a massive scale, and combined will be making a hugely positive difference. That is probably the greatest achievement.
Ambitions for the future?
We are working on creating native species mixes for various regions of the world, so as to mobilize more people to help reforest planet. We will also be working on creating wildflower Life Boxes, and Veggie Life Boxes which will help increase non-GMO food sources for pollinators and provide an easy way for folks to start a vegetable garden.
Which other social innovators do you admire?
Personally, I admire the work of Janine Benyus and the scientists at The Biomimicry Institute, very much. Their innovative ideas supply a wealth of important solutions to otherwise toxic and/or unsustainable technologies and designs. Also, William McDonough’s work as an innovative designer using his Cradle-to-Cradle ideas is astounding.
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Take into account the possible effects of all of your decisions, actions and words. Social and ecological responsibility and integrity should be the norm. When an individual or company demonstrates these qualities in their business practices, customers notice…they develop trust and respect. You can’t ask for more than devoted customers who are willing to spread the word about your product.
Life Box
The Life Box™ was invented by Paul Stamets, mycologist, author and founder of Fungi Perfecti®, LLC. The Life Box™ suite of products builds upon the synergy of fungi and plants by infusing spores and seeds together inside of packaging materials that can be planted.
Thanks very much to Katie Birkhauser for taking the time to answer our questions.
Who created Life Box
The Life Box was created by mycologist, and author Paul Stamets. Paul owns Fungi Perfecti, and recently he started two sister companies devoted to the Life Box project. Planted Planet Productions, LLC which manufactures and distributes wholesale and custom orders of Life Boxes. As well as Life Box, LLC which focuses on smaller quantity orders for the average consumer.
What do you do and why do you do it?
On the outside the Life Box looks like your average brown corrugate box used for shipping parcels, though it is has printing on the outside that tells the recipient that it’s a Life Box, to plant it, grow trees, and help save the planet. Inside the corrugations of the cardboard are tree seeds and spores of mycorrhizal fungi. When the box is torn up, soaked, refrigerated (to stratify the tree seeds), peeled apart and planted, it will sprout trees (native to the continental U.S. and Canada) that are in symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi.
The mycorrhizal fungi enable the trees to be more likely to survive adverse conditions, such as low nutrient soils, drought, disease and pests (though, they still need to be watered regularly and properly cared for in their early years). The tree seeds themselves are all native to the various regions of the continental U.S. and Canada, and currently the Life Box is only sold in this area. In the future, however, it is our goal to create native species mixes for the various regions of the world.
We provide the Life Box to the public because we know that this planet is currently in many levels of crisis. Many of which are caused by humans. The sheer amount of packaging that we use on a daily basis is enormous, unsustainable, and contributes to these crises. Our goal is to take steps to provide consumers with a packaging option that, instead of going to the landfill or recycling plant, can be absorbed back into the earth and sprout new life that will help reforest the planet, clean our air, sequester carbon, and will more than replace the trees that were used to create the packaging itself, among many other reasons. It is our responsibility to leave the planet a better place for the generations to come after us. We believe that the Life Box has enormous exponential potential to help reforest the planet by enabling individuals to plant trees.
Greatest achievement to date?
We have received recognition for the Life Box, by receiving a “Green Packy” Award from the Whole Foods Market Green Coalition and Sustainable Business Coalition. The award recognized the Life Box as an embodiment of the three principles of Responsible Packaging Standards: Transparency, Ecological Principles and Extended Producer Responsibility.
Though, even greater than the recognition of an award, is the recognition and support we receive from individuals who are moved by our product and want to become part of the Life Box project by spreading the word and planting Life Boxes. Since it’s release to the public in January 2010, we have placed almost 5 million tree seeds into Life Boxes which have been and will be put into the hands of willing and excited individuals, who will foster the growth of these baby trees on a massive scale, and combined will be making a hugely positive difference. That is probably the greatest achievement.
Ambitions for the future?
We are working on creating native species mixes for various regions of the world, so as to mobilize more people to help reforest planet. We will also be working on creating wildflower Life Boxes, and Veggie Life Boxes which will help increase non-GMO food sources for pollinators and provide an easy way for folks to start a vegetable garden.
Which other social innovators do you admire?
Personally, I admire the work of Janine Benyus and the scientists at The Biomimicry Institute, very much. Their innovative ideas supply a wealth of important solutions to otherwise toxic and/or unsustainable technologies and designs. Also, William McDonough’s work as an innovative designer using his Cradle-to-Cradle ideas is astounding.
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Take into account the possible effects of all of your decisions, actions and words. Social and ecological responsibility and integrity should be the norm. When an individual or company demonstrates these qualities in their business practices, customers notice…they develop trust and respect. You can’t ask for more than devoted customers who are willing to spread the word about your product.