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Growing Mushrooms on Printers' Mix

 
pollinator
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Location: Marmora, Ontario
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Hi everyone,

I work in a print shop and book bindery in Mississauga, Ontario, and I was wondering if there are edible, marketable species of mushroom that would break down the inks, glues, laminates and the like in the paper waste of my trade. I would appreciate any advice as to research I should check out, species that will or could do what I'm talking about, what I should do and how I should do it to identify the best species and do a trial run, and anything anyone could think of that I would find useful. Also, if there are any places selling spore or cultures for this sort of stuff, I'd love to know where to go.

What I'm envisioning is a stack of large, flat tupperware that sit in a stack in the artificial light of my workplace. I will monitor the humidity levels and spray as needed.

I would also love to hear about any other projects focusing on the unconventional use of waste materials. Thanks!

-CK
 
Posts: 1273
Location: Central Wyoming -zone 4
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i would add a question to ask whether or not the first generation of mushrooms coming from the ink and such would be safe to eat, idk if they would or wouldnt be but
im just thinking that the initial breaking down of the inks and such wouldn't quite filter the chemicals well enough but again im not entirely sure...
 
Chris Kott
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I might be mistaken, but from what I've read about fungal metabolism, they derive sustenance from toxins, including what makes up the inks, so I don't rightly know. How would you test them?

-CK
 
Devon Olsen
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Location: Central Wyoming -zone 4
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i actually dont know how one would test it and it could be you now more about growing shrooms than i do, i just assumed it was similar to the way compost works, where you dont wanna eat anything grown in first gen compost from feces...
 
Chris Kott
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You may be right, but I believe the issues with first generation manure compost stem from disease, which paper will not host. I was wondering if people who might be using newsprint or some other such post-print paper product for substrate might have already tackled this one. If you find anything talking about this, Devon, please post it here and I will find it. Thanks.

-CK
 
Devon Olsen
Posts: 1273
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i believe there is another thread in the fungi forum on oysters with a phonebook, sounds real similar to me...
also a thread on oysters used to break down plastics...
 
Chris Kott
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Thanks Devon,

I've been monitoring those two. They look very promising. I'm going to post the question about first generation crops and see what they say.

-CK
 
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Location: England, Midlands.
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The only problem I could think of is if there are any heavy metals in any of the stuff. Apparently mushrooms can concentrate heavy metals in there fruits.
 
Posts: 33
Location: Fraser Valley, BC Canada
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I had good success growing oyster mushrooms from a used spawn kit using cardboard drink trays with layers of trays, bran (for nitrogen) and myceliated straw. It produced flush after flush of mushrooms pretty quickly while under my desk at work. I just misted it whenever it didn't feel moist, and kept it covered in a garbage bag. I only ate a few of them, but they were beautiful white specimens due to the low light. I threw it into the compost after and it broke down pretty quickly.
 
Devon Olsen
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https://mycotopia.net/forums/fungi-all-edible-medicinal-other-mushrooms/19704-cultivating-oyster-mushrooms-newspaper-2.html

this is the second page of a thread that covers a tek for using nothing other than spawn, newspaper and grocery bags as a setup(though i think he has a mushroom tent or something) for growing oyster mushrooms, i am still quite sceptical about the waxes and dyes and all that in the inks, but i think after searching around the little bit i have, its probably perfectly safe, just may not be the sorta quality that i expect as far as toxin-free foods go
 
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