Growduce

At home, each of us produces 60 kg of organic waste a year. In order to be recycled, this waste has to go through recycling channels that are often complex and far from the original collection point.

In nature, however, all the waste from one species is a resource for others. It is recycled locally by dozens of species of micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi or actinomycetes) and macro-organisms (insects, worms, crustaceans or gastropods) that feed on it. It is by digesting them that these organisms produce new materials suitable for new uses.

Using an approach that combines industrial design and life sciences, designer Guillian Graves and bioengineer Aakriti Jain have developed Growduce, an effective, sustainable and entirely local alternative to recycling organic waste in the home.

A cross between a biocomposter and a 3D printer, Growduce is a domestic recycling and biofabrication device. It is designed to recycle our organic waste by transforming it into everyday objects. To do this, Growduce uses biology as both a technology and a process.

The lower part of the object, made of ceramic, houses a colony of 'acetobacter' bacteria living in symbiosis with yeast. The upper part of the object, a glass bell, allows the user to incorporate the waste and add various natural additives.

The organic waste incorporated is digested by the micro-organisms through a process of fermentation and metabolisation. This transforms it into a rubbery membrane that grows on the surface of the compost. It is a brand new raw material that the machine uses to sculpt, with the help of a system of interchangeable moulds, everyday objects for different uses, with little or no maintenance.

The properties, colour, smell and taste of the cultured membrane will depend on the additives added, while the shape and texture will depend on the mould used. Once dry, the membrane produces entirely biodegradable objects made from cellulose, the main component of plants, which is widely used in the fields of health and well-being, food, energy, clothing and packaging.

The first recipes and moulds designed enable users to transform their bio-waste locally into dressings with healing properties, beauty masks, gloves and other clothing, new types of food or even logs for heating the home.

In short, the Growduce system offers a new way of recycling organic waste locally by transforming it into new, sustainable, biodegradable objects. It also invites us to reconsider the negative image we have of bacteria and other micro-organisms, which are nonetheless capable of doing us a great deal of good.