frank sesno considers, what if you could pack stuff in a material that's cheap, more environmentally friendly and made from mushrooms? >> reporter: eben bayer is the portrait of the young, idealistic entrepreneur. >> reporter: on "planet forward," bayer talked about his big idea, which he developed as an undergrad studying mechanical engineering. bayer thinks he can transform an industry, reduce energy consumption and make money. >> reporter: instead of using petroleum, bayer's company uses agricultural waste. we wanted to see for ourselves. could this really mushroom into a business that could make a difference? we visited the plant outside albany, new york. and eben bayer showed us around. >> our business model is to transform these low-value wastes into something with value. we do that by binding them together and adding a shape. >> reporter: they mix seed husks with a cultured fungus and pour it all into molds. >> reporter: you mix the mushroom roots with the seed husks and the mushroom roots grow around the seed husks and bind it like a glue. it's spongy and it's cold. it's aliv