Facebook Game Upcycles Trash For Charity

In the new Facebook game Trash Tycoon, players take the role of recycling entrepreneurs, collecting waste and upcycling it into new useful products. Photo: TerraCycle

You’ve harvested crops on FarmVille and defended your island on Empires and Allies.

Now a new Facebook game lets you manage and upcycle a town’s waste, while raising money for real-world projects that reduce carbon emissions.

Trash Tycoon, created by social gaming startup Guerillapps and sponsored by upcycling company TerraCycle, is the first Facebook game built around upcycling. In the game, players take the role of recycling entrepreneurs responsible for cleaning up a trash-strewn city. Players earn game money and points by collecting and upcycling trash – converting waste into useful, quality products – just like TerraCycle does in real life.

While playing the game, users will be able to communicate and collaborate with each other in real time, banding together with friends to take on trash.

The game is tied to TerraCycle’s Brigade programs that pay community groups for collecting difficult-to-recycle materials such as chip bags, candy wrappers, juice pouches and toothbrushes. TerraCycle takes these products that were destined for the landfill and repurposes them into new eco-friendly products sold online and at major retailers. Trash Tycoon will award special bonuses and gifts to players who upcycle in real life by participating in a TerraCycle Brigade.

Trash Tycoon will also raise money for carbon-offset projects around the world, donating 10 percent of the game’s virtual currency to CarbonFund.org. Players will be able to choose one of three projects to support with their gaming activities.

“Trash Tycoon will be fantastic way for TerraCycle participants to increase their environmental impact and the money they earn for charities and schools,” said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. “An innovative and fun game like Trash Tycoon is the perfect complement to TerraCycle’s collection programs which try to make environmental responsibility more fun.”