Tarkett partners with Mycocycle

Solon, Ohio-based flooring and sports surface solutions provider Tarkett USA Inc. has partnered with Mycocycle, a Chicago-based biotech startup that leverages the root structure of mushrooms to break down construction waste.

Mycocycle says its research and development has shown that fungal root structures called mycelia have been shown to consume and eliminate toxins from construction waste, producing a natural byproduct.

“This partnership is rooted in a shared investment in the exponential power of collaboration and innovation,” Tarkett North America CEO Eric Daliere says. “Together, we share a commitment to creating a circular economy that protects our natural resources, promotes climate health and sustains every living thing.”

Through this partnership, Tarkett and Mycocycle will leverage Tarkett’s ReStart take-back and recycling program to further test the effects of mycelium on all types of flooring and explore the resulting byproduct as a central ingredient in new flooring products.

“Because of its legacy and reputation for transparency, its respect for the importance of third-party verification and its willingness to invest in innovation, it was clear to me that Tarkett walks the talk,” Mycocycle founder Joanne Rodriguez says. “That was important to me.”

Tarkett diverted an estimated 1.5 million pounds of postuse flooring to recycling in North America last year, both in-house and with external recycling partners. Through its partnership with Mycocycle, the company says it is on track to at least double that number in 2024.