Overview
In recycling, contamination happens when the wrong item enters a recycling stream. This game makes contamination visible and measurable. Teams sort a “mixed stream” twice: once with no guidance (baseline), then again after agreeing on clear rules. The goal is not speed — it’s quality.
Local rules vary: Use this game to practice your community’s rules. If you need a baseline, start with: bottles/cans/containers + paper/cardboard; keep items empty/clean/dry; and never bag recyclables.
Learning objectives
- Explain contamination with an everyday example.
- Practice sorting with clear rules, not guesses.
- See how one mistake can “ruin the batch”.
- Connect behavior to system outcomes (recovery, reject, cost).
Materials
- One LEGO® pile per team (any mix is fine).
- Brickit App on one device per team (optional but recommended).
- 24–30 “waste cards” per team (paper / plastic / metal / glass / special / trash).
- 4–5 labeled zones: Paper / Containers / Glass / Special / Trash.
- Score sheet (whiteboard or paper).
Tip: If you don’t have printed cards, use sticky notes with simple icons (bottle, can, pizza box, battery, hose, etc.).
Starter rule set (use or adapt)
- Rule 1: Recycle bottles, cans, rigid containers, paper and cardboard.
- Rule 2: Keep food & liquid out — items must be empty and reasonably clean/dry.
- Rule 3: No loose plastic bags and no bagged recyclables — everything goes loose.
Extra tip: For plastics, sort by shape (bottles/cups/tubs), not by “chasing arrows”.
Game flow (20–30 min)
| Phase | Minutes | Facilitator script |
|---|---|---|
| Sort (baseline) | 4 | “Sort these items as best you can. Work fast, but don’t talk with other teams.” |
| Scan (optional) | 3 | “Scan your LEGO pile. Notice: Brickit sees shapes and sizes — not names. Real facilities also rely on detectors, but they need clean inputs.” |
| Choose rules | 5 | “Agree on 3 sorting rules your team will follow every time. Write them down.” |
| Build a rule sign | 5 | “Build one LEGO sign that reminds you of your #1 rule. Keep it visible.” |
| Sort (Round 2) | 4 | “Sort the same stream again. Follow your rules.” |
| Measure & reflect | 5–9 | “Count errors and calculate contamination. What changed? Which rule helped most?” |
Scoring (simple)
- Contamination = wrong items placed in recycling zones.
- Contamination rate = (wrong items ÷ total items sorted) × 100.
- Team score = 100 − contamination rate (higher is better).
Optional: add a “special items” penalty (batteries, hoses, electronics) to encourage safe handling habits.
SDG connection
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production (sorting correctly enables reuse).
- SDG 13: Climate Action (better recovery reduces emissions and new material demand).
Impact metrics
- Baseline vs Round 2 contamination rate (should decrease).
- One-sentence student takeaway (“One rule I will use at home”).
- Team rubric: rule clarity, collaboration, evidence in explanation.
Tip: you can also choose “Save as PDF”.