Know What to Throw

November 15, 2022

How well do you know your waste? Are you a wishful recycler? The City’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) wants to make it easier for residents to learn if they are recycling and disposing of their waste properly with a new online game called “Know What to Throw.”

The game, officially launching today, players are shown common items and then must decide where they belong by dragging and dropping them into one of several waste streams. Through several different rounds, players will quickly learn how much they really know about recycling and they will get a chance to “win” items to build their own digital park.

“We wanted a fun and interactive way to get residents to test their knowledge and help them see what they’re doing right and what they might be doing wrong when it comes to recycling,” said Matthew Whelan, SWMD Director. “We hope that everyone who plays this game walks away having learned something.”

Currently the City of Albuquerque has a 35% recycling contamination rate, meaning that 35% of what Solid Waste collects is either not accepted for recycling or garbage. Much of that is due to wishful recycling, or putting items into their recycling cart without knowing if they are actually recyclable.

The game is available to play in English and Spanish. Residents can find it on our website.

Another great resource for residents and families is the Recycle Coach app, also available in English and Spanish. In addition to reminding residents about their trash and recycling pick-up day, they can also use the app’s “what goes where” search function to look up a specific item and see where it belongs. Residents can test out a simplified version of the app here.