Fungus is the new black: Mushroom leather could make fashion greener

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-03-12 14:43

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Leather made of mushrooms could one day be a sustainable and biodegradable material for clothing, says a review paper. The authors said that while some mushroom leather products are already available, they are expensive and it is difficult to make the material durable without reducing its biodegradability. However, they highlight that further development could reduce the high carbon footprint of the fashion industry. The authors explore possible future developments in wearable biomaterials, including living fungal clothing that could potentially self-heal and even conduct electrical signals to interface with wearable electronics.