The Metabolizer is an open-source waste-to-everything system designed to mimic the ecological role of decomposing fungi — breaking down wastes and building them up into new things. The Metabolizer is powered entirely by a biochar reactor that reduces wood chips and other forms of biomass into charcoal, and it uses the energy produced by the reactor to shred up and 3D print waste plastics into new and useful objects. In the process, it produces light, heat, and shelter from the elements, creating a gathering space where folks can warm their bones and learn about disruptive, open-source, ecologically-integrated infrastructure!

 

Sam Smith is an artist, educator, and insurrectionary ecologist based in Portland, Oregon.

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Photo: Claire Cassidy