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Kaltrina Bylykbashi
Mylo is classified as a transitional material.
Mylo is a material made by Bolt Threads that looks and feels remarkably like Leather, but is made from Mycelium, the 'root system' of mushrooms. It is created by growing mycelium cells on a bed of renewable, organic matter in a vertical farming facility powered by 100% renewable energy. The low-impact material takes less than two weeks to grow, and requires less land, fewer inputs, and less energy than animal agriculture. Bolt Threads plans to share LCA data as the material scales.
Backed by brands such as Adidas, Lululemon, Kering, and Stella McCartney, the company has produced a number of Mylo products to date, including the adidas Stan Smith Mylo and a duffel bag and yoga mat for Lululemon. The Stella McCartney 'Frayme', showcased at Paris Fashion Week in October 2022, became the first ever luxury bag made from mycelium. Mylo is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certified, dyed with Bluesign-approved dyes, and received the Eurofins Vegan Verification Mark from Chem-MAP.
Bolt Threads states that Mylo's material composition is "predominantly mycelium", but it also contains lyocell and a water-based polyurethane finish, which the company says provides "added strength and durability". While Mylo is not plastic free or currently biodegradable, Bolt Threads states it does not use petroleum-based plastic. The material is certified as bio-based by DIN CERTCO, but the certification only requires that products are 50% organic and have at least 20% bio-based carbon content.
Bolt Threads aims to eliminate plastics in the future, but asserts that the majority of consumers won't accept big sacrifices in quality compared to leather. This is undoubtedly true, but there exist companies which have developed leather-like materials without plastic-based binders or coatings. Natural Fiber Welding’s Mirum is totally plastic free and uses no synthetic elements to bind or coat the material, while MycoWorks’ Reishi is a plastic-free, vegetable-tanned mushroom leather that decomposes in the natural environment within months. The latest addition to the list of alternative options is LOVR, a single-ingredient material made from leftover hemp stalks that is coating free, meaning it can return to the earth as nutrients.
