Hard-to-recycle construction waste can be transformed into a sustainable, bio-based insulation composite using a common fungus, according to researchers at the University of Bath.
The construction industry creates an enormous amount of waste, a large proportion of which is wood waste. While its deemed a natural material, much of this wood has been treated with resins, making it hard to recycle. If left to decompose in landfill, it releases toxic chemicals into the environment.
To tackle this issue, researchers at the University of Bath turned to Trametes versicolor, a wood-rotting fungus found throughout UK woodlands and commonly known as turkey tail. As it grows, its mycelium network breaks down the material and binds it together, transforming it into a thermally insulating and fire-resistant composite.
Joni Wildman, lead author on the study and a researcher in the university’s Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, said: “Mycelium-based materials are a novel option that is...