Mykor is a sustainability focused company set up to develop commercially viable and sustainable building materials grown from waste.
The UK construction industry contributes 25 million tonnes of waste to landfill every year. Worldwide, the construction industry contributes to 50% of all climate change, 40% of drinking water pollution, 23% of air pollution and 50% of landfill waste. It is necessary for construction companies to comply with environmental regulations, but the sustainable building products currently on the market do not perform as well as their oil-based counterparts. Mykor is developing a high-performing insulation solution starting with locally-sourced forestry waste and fungi. In initial tests, this novel, custom-engineered material is highly performative, carbon-negative, and feels and performs like conventional foam. It also offers high performance in strength, density, sound absorption and fire-retardancy.
Mykor was founded by Valentina Dipietro, a 2019 graduate of the RCA’s Textiles MA. In 2020 Valentina was shortlisted for the prestigious UN Young Champions of the Earth prize and won the Innovate UK Young Innovators Award.
