Cut landfill by playing the recycling game

The City of Sydney has created a new online game to help residents sort their household rubbish and reduce waste going to landfill. The game and animation are being launched to coincide with National Recycling Week, which runs from 12-18 November.

Each tonne of recycled paper saves over 13 trees from being chopped down, recycling steel from cans requires 75% less energy than using raw materials and recycling aluminium from cans uses 90% less energy. Recycling just one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.

The city’s Resource Recovery Manager, Leisha Deguara, said, “To get the maximum benefit from these ‘free’ resources, which we are literally throwing away, we need to put the right thing into the right bin.

“We hope this game will help people sort out what they can and can’t recycle and have some fun while they’re at it.”

The object of the game, ‘Put the Right Thing in the Right Bin’, is to drag and drop common household waste items into three virtual wheelie bins and identify items that shouldn’t be placed in bins at all, such as batteries and light globes. ‘Where Does Waste Go?’ is an animation that follows the journey of waste from the bin to a processing facility and its new life as a recycled product.

Deguara said the city is diverting 66% of its annual rubbish collection - currently 40,000 tonnes - away from landfill.

“Sydney residents are keen recyclers, increasing their total recycling from 2.9 to 3.9 kg a household a week over the past three years. We applaud their efforts but more needs to be done,” Deguara said.

“Around 17.5% of household garbage still contains recyclable materials, such as takeaway coffee cup lids, wax-free paper cups and empty pizza boxes.”

The game and animation can be accessed at www.zerowaste.org.au/wheredoeswastego.