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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain.
Sec. Waste Management
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsus.2025.1522527
Evaluating Pleurotus ostreatus Growth for Upcycling Textile Waste from the Fashion Industry
Provisionally accepted- 1 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, United States
- 2 Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, England, United Kingdom
The fast fashion industry's rapid growth has led to about 92 million tons of textile waste each year and contributes 10% of global carbon emissions, which is expected to rise by 50% by 2030. This study examines a sustainable method for upcycling textile waste using the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. Thirteen fabric substrates, consisting of both natural and synthetic fibers, were cultivated on four growth media-malt extract agar (MEA), malt extract yeast agar (MYA), potato dextrose agar (PDA), and potato dextrose yeast agar (PDYA)-to assess their effectiveness in supporting mycelium growth, morphological characteristics, and biomass yield. Results showed that all fabric substrates supported mycelium growth, with MEA, MYA, and PDYA emerging as the most effective growth media. PDYA produced the highest biomass yield, highlighting its potential for upcycling applications. Statistical analysis demonstrated the significant effect of growth media on the lag and exponential growth phases, underscoring the importance of nutrient-rich environment conditions for optimized growth. This study confirms the viability of utilizing Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium for transforming textile waste, with the potential to provide an innovative and eco-friendly approach to reducing the fashion industry's environmental footprint.The fast fashion industry's rapid expansion has exacerbated environmental challenges, contributing significantly to waste generation and resource depletion. The industry produces approximately 92 million tons of textile waste annually, accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions, projected to rise by 50% by 2030… Deleted: .
Keywords: Textile waste, upcycling, Mycelium, Pleurotus ostreatus, circular economy through mycelium-based materials Mycelium growth of Mycelium growth of Mycelium growth of Mycelium growth of
Received: 04 Nov 2024; Accepted: 24 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fletcher. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ian Fletcher, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.