Mycocycle

Training fungi to consume construction waste

The construction industry is responsible for an estimated 30% of all the waste we produce worldwide, with the United States alone producing 660 million tons of construction and demolition debris each year. Converting this waste into a reusable resource would dramatically reduce the environmental impact of a sector that accounts for up to 40% of our carbon emissions.

Inspired by the way organic matter decomposes on the forest floor, Mycocycle have trained fungi to consume construction waste, including challenging materials like asphalt, by harnessing the enzymes which help disintegrate tough and complex organic material like bone. 

Once these lab-trained fungi have done their work, they leave behind a biomaterial that is both fire and water-resistant and can be reused in a wide variety of applications – particularly insulation, packaging, and – in a perfect example of closing the loop on waste - building materials.

This process of remediation can also be applied to other complex materials such as oil and heavy metals, paving the way for a whole new field of waste treatment inspired by nature.

To find out more about Mycocyle, visit their website.

To learn how corporations can accelerate action to decarbonise the built environment, read this white paper from the SMI’s Sustainable Buildings Task Force