Could we eat our own pants?

In the age of fast fashion, the environmental impact of textile waste has become an increasingly pressing issue. Every year, 92 million tonnes of fabric are incinerated or sent to landfill, leading to significant pollution problems. But what if there was a way to not only mitigate this waste but also turn it into a valuable resource? A groundbreaking study by Liberty Hazelgrove and Suzy Clare Moody, published in Scientific Reports, explores an innovative solution: cultivating edible fungi on textile waste.
 
Textile waste is a complex mixture of natural fibres like cotton, processed fibres like viscose, and synthetic fibres such as elastane and polyester. This mixed composition makes textiles a challenge to recycle or dispose of safely. Current disposal methods pose significant environmental challenges. In landfills, the synthetic fibres break down into microplastics that contaminate soil and water, while incineration releases harmful particulates into the air. The issue is particularly noticed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where most textile processing and disposal occurs, but where resources for sustainable waste management are often lacking.
 
Hazelgrove and Moody’s research focuses on using filamentous fungi as bioremediation agents for textile waste. Filamentous fungi, which include species of mushrooms, have the ability to decompose complex organic materials. The study highlights three species of fungi—Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom), Pleurotus eryngii (King oyster mushroom), and Lentinula edodes (Shiitake mushroom)—that were able to grow on a mixed fibre textile substrate composed of cotton, bamboo viscose, and elastane. These fungi also demonstrated the ability to metabolise a common textile dye, Reactive Black 5, suggesting their potential for detoxifying dyed textiles. This dual capability of breaking down both fibres and dyes positions these fungi as powerful tools for textile waste bioremediation.
 
The researchers selected fungi based on their edibility, ease of laboratory cultivation, available genomic information, and accessibility from culture collections. Through a series of laboratory trials, they found that P. ostreatus, P. eryngii, and L. edodes could all successfully colonise the textile substrate. Agaricus bisporus (Button mushroom), another species tested, did not grow well on the textile substrates and was excluded from further experiments. The study utilised light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) to observe fungal growth on the textiles and assess the integrity of the fibres over time. The results showed that the fungi could grow on both cotton and bamboo viscose, suggesting that even highly processed fibres remained bioavailable to the fungi.
 
One of the most exciting aspects of this research is the potential to produce edible mushrooms from textile waste. While the study did not produce mushrooms in this initial phase, the successful growth of fungal mycelium on textile substrates is a promising first step. If optimised for mushroom production, this process could provide a sustainable source of food, particularly valuable in LMICs where nutritional resources may be limited.
 
While this study lays the groundwork, there is much more to explore. Optimising conditions for mushroom production from textile substrates is a key next step. Additionally, understanding the complete metabolome—the set of metabolites produced during fungal growth on textiles—can help assess the safety and nutritional value of the resulting mushrooms. Even if mushrooms of edible quality are not produced, being able to sustainably produce fungal mycelium on textile waste offers the opportunity to use that mycelium for further textile production, for packaging, or for one of the many other uses that fungal mycelium is currently being utilised.
 
The implications of this research are powerful in terms of sustainability and global equity. By turning textile waste into edible fungi, we can address two major global challenges: reducing environmental pollution and enhancing food security. This innovative biotechnological approach demonstrates how we can use natural processes to create sustainable solutions for a greener future. Hazelgrove and Moody’s research opens a new avenue in the field of bioremediation and potential sustainable food production. By harnessing the power of fungi, we can transform a major waste problem into a valuable resource. As this field develops, it holds the promise of making a significant impact on both the environment and global food systems.