Insulation made from the roots of fungi
A partnership between bio-tech firm Biohm and local social enterprise Onion Collective has developed a project to “reinvigorate” Watchet in Somerset. The mill there closed in 2015 with the loss of nearly 200 jobs – almost a fifth of the town’s workforce.
Insulation moulded from the long, thread-like roots of fungi, is expected to be produced for 10 houses a month. The roots of the mushrooms, or mycelium, not only “outperform petrochemical/plastic based” materials in thermal and acoustic insulation but is also “safer and healthier”.
The underground mycelium root structure is is fed with waste and by-products from industrial processes and farms nearby and the process creates insulation panels. See the BBC link for more details.
GreenChew 