Sort The Trash: Compost, Recycle or Landfill Game

GAME INFO

What is the goal of the game?

In Sort The Trash, students must sort each piece of waste into the correct bin: green for compost, blue for recycling, and black for landfill. Rather than the classic glass, plastic, and paper bins, the game uses a three-stream waste system common in many countries, helping students see household waste management from a new perspective.

Recommended age and educational level

Recommended for students ages 6 to 10, from 1st to 4th grade. It works well as an introduction to environmental science and sustainability topics in the classroom.

How to play: single-player or multiplayer

This is a single-player game. Click and drag each item into the right bin:

Green bin (compost): organic waste such as a tea bag, a zucchini, or a pizza box covered in food scraps.
Blue bin (recycling): glass, clean paper, and containers.
Black bin (landfill): items that can't be recycled or composted for now.

Complete each round by sorting every item correctly. Look closely at each object before you drop it!

What do you learn from this game? Learning and skills

Environmental awareness: understanding why proper waste sorting matters for the planet.
Classification skills: grouping objects by material and how they are processed.
Composting basics: learning how organic waste turns into nutrient-rich compost.
Critical thinking: recognizing that recycling rules depend on each country or community.
Ecological responsibility: building sustainable habits at home and at school.

Tips to get the most out of this game

Before dragging an item, ask: Is it organic, recyclable, or neither?
Teachers can follow up with a classroom waste audit: sort the trash from a lunch period into the three categories.
Compare the game's system with your local recycling rules and discuss why they may differ.
Discuss tricky items, like the greasy pizza box: why does it go to compost instead of recycling?
Start a school compost bin project to see the process in real life.