If you read this blog you have surely read about “vegetable” leather made with mushrooms. Bella, an eco-friendly way to create clothing that doesn't cause animals to suffer. Yet, it is one thing to wear shoes or carry a bag made from mushrooms, another thing to use them in construction. Maybe as thermal insulation materials. Nevertheless.
biohm, a UK-based startup, aims to shift the construction and demolition industry to a more circular model, one that generates far less waste in the process. To do so, he drew on the power of mushrooms. Mycelium, a “network of thin white filaments” formed by the roots that connect mushrooms, is the main component of the home insulation products that the company is designing and manufacturing.
Cultivated insulation panels
The insulation material is grown by the company using the agricultural byproducts of the mushroom. The product deserves all your attention because it is even ahead of the curve: it is not carbon neutral. It's carbon negative: the more you produce, the less CO2 there is in the atmosphere. Do we really want to compare it with the current foam used for insulation? Fossil fuels, yuck.
This mycelium, on the other hand, grows and reaches the size of an insulating panel, then it is polymerized to acquire hardness. It is biodegradable and does not contemplate any production problems related to current materials. What are we waiting for? Seriously.
“Fungal” insulation: also economical
Already today, with a market that has just started, the price of an insulation material obtained from the mycelium is comparable to existing insulators (albeit high-end). When production increases, it will have much, much more affordable prices.
Ah, a detail that had previously escaped me: tests also indicate that the insulation provided by mycelium is better than conventional materials. In the event of a fire, it resists fire even better and burns more slowly. It does not require investments in raw materials, which makes it very suitable for large-scale production. It can be composted.
Guys, let's realize I've filled an entire post with positives. It is clear as day that this is a very promising and profitable road. If you start a startup, take this into account: the insulating mycelium. Easy money.
