Social game Trash Tycoon brings eco-awareness

Social games are a new way of spreading awareness on global environmental and social causes. Take 'Happy Oasis', for instance. It's a Facebook game, similar to Farmville, but with the goal of spreading awareness of life in the Middle East. Following suit, 'Trash Tycoon' is a game with the goal of spreading environmental awareness. Social gaming startup, Guerillapps, is the force behind this game that launched last week. While users compete, they also learn about issues relating to the environment, as well as sustainability.

Recycle to win

The game itself has you, the user become a recycling tycoon. The focus of the game is upcycling, which is the process of converting trash into new products and it's your job as the entrepreneur to collect trash and find new, environmentally friendly uses for discarded objects like plastic bags and construction equipment. As you finish upcycling tasks, you are rewarded with points, money and eventually the title of "garbage tycoon".

The game makers believe that social gaming is a good method for spreading awareness of issues such as these. “Something as simple as a social game where players earn points for recycling in the real world is capable of changing people’s behavior for the better,” says Raviv Turner, Co-Founder and CEO of Guerillapps. Guerillapps will also donate 10 percent of their in game revenue to CarbonFund.org, a non-profit dedicated to the climate change battle.