Plastic Free July – Alaska Sea Grant

From fungi to foam

By Kyle Kolda | July 14, 2026

A man stands next to a 2.5-foot model of a house wall insulated with wood and mycelium foam.

An innovative alternative to Styrofoam might be growing in your backyard. A team led by University of Alaska Anchorage researcher Philippe Amstislavski is exploring how mycelium, the root structure of…

Plastic Free July: Fishermen take action for cleaner coasts

By Alice van Veenendaal | July 16, 2025

Group of volunteers collecting marine debris in large bags on a sandy beach in Alaska. Three boats are in the water behind them.

Plastic Free July is a global movement to reduce single-use plastics, much of which end up in streams, rivers, and oceans. In Alaska, we’re partnering with leaders in coastal communities…