By James Matthews
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Dysart has found a fun way to promote sorting trash for proper recycling.
The township received a grant from the Carton Council of Canada to start a public awareness initiative. The campaign, which is to be implemented this spring, was themed Recycling is Easy by the carton council.
John Watson, the town’s environmental manager, told council Feb. 14 that one of the initiatives in that campaign was to implement an interactive digital waste sorting game. The game was developed by ReCollect Systems, the company that developed Dysart’s waste wizard on the municipal website and Haliburton County’s website.
Users test their waste sorting knowledge by dragging the more than 110 items into the correct bin. The receptacles are for household hazardous waste, recycling for paper, recycling for containers, garbage, and composting.
After players complete each level of the game, they can add something to a digital outdoor park. Participants can print a certificate of achievement after finishing the game’s fifth level.
“If you notice in the background of the game, you can see some local landmarks as well,” Watson said.
Players are anonymous. But Watson says he can glean from game statistics such information as which materials residents were getting incorrect. And, he said, that will lead to enhanced public education campaigns for those materials indications show the public is uncertain.
“It’s a really good exercise for students, for sure,” said Mayor Murray Fearrey.
The game can be accessed at dysarteyal.ca/wastewizard.
Are you a waste wizard? Put your knowledge to the test by playing the Municipality of Dysart et al’s new waste sorting game! Visit www.dysartetal.ca/wastegame to play the free, interactive game.