An Austin-based startup, Hiro Technologies, is tackling one of the most stubborn contributors to landfill waste: disposable diapers. With a powerful blend of plastic-eating fungi—dubbed SuperHiro Fungi—the company’s MycoDigestible Diapers promise to revolutionize how we think about diaper disposal.
Co-founded by entrepreneur Miki Agrawal (best known for Thinx and Tushy), the innovation emerged after she discovered fungi’s ability to digest plastic, thanks to a children’s book she read to her son. Teaming up with mushroom expert Tero Isokauppila from Four Sigmatic, they developed a fungi-based tech that activates in landfills, breaking down materials like PET, PP, and PE—plastics that typically linger for centuries.
Unlike traditional plastic alternatives that still rely on blends or industrial composting, Hiro’s tech works naturally in the challenging conditions of landfills. The fungi break down plastic from the inside out, turning it into nutrient-rich soil and mycelium, thus closing the loop on waste.
With only 9% of plastic being recycled globally and a predicted tripling in plastic production by 2060, this fungi-powered approach offers a scalable, circular solution that bypasses the slow pace of policy change.
Now working with landfill operators and aiming to expand into other plastic-heavy industries, Hiro Technologies is on a mission: to end plastic waste—with mushrooms leading the charge.