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Module 3 Discussion A

The Garbage Dream game is about recycling and how to limit that amount of garbage going to landfills.  The game is found here: http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/the-garbage-dreams-game/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  Play the game a few times to get an idea of how it works.  You have many choices and all of them have expenses attached to them.  Once you have played the game enough to get your own recycling up above 10% answer the following questions:
1.  Describe how you managed your upgrades?  Why did you upgrade in the order you chose?
2. Did you expand your territory? How?
3. Did you think about marginal costs and marginal benefits as you planned your strategy? Describe how.
Choose one type of recycling and do some research around the following questions:
1.  What costs are associated with this type of recycling?
2.  What is the value of this type of recycling (both explicit and implicit)?
3.  Does it make sense to subsidize this type of recycling?  Why or why not? (Think back to Externalities and chapter 10)
(Games for Change has other games that would be appropriate for this course.  Feel free to choose another game, just let me know which one.)



This game was addicting. Every choice involved a trade-off. Adding the element of reducing income because of leftover or non-recyclable trash was an interesting dynamic. In response to that, you either had to expand your processing capabilities, gain more time, or educate to reduce the amount of non-recyclable trash in the system.

At first, I thought expanding territories right off the bat could be helpful because there was potential to collect more valuable items in the wealthier neighborhoods. But operating costs were very high and it was a struggle to break even. It took longer to process tin and aluminum. There was so much more trash to sort through in order to get to those high-value items that I often couldn't finish the pile. I needed more workers, but I had spent all my money on trucks and it was difficult to turn a profit.

So then I focused on being able to process more efficiently. I started doubling up on organics as well as paper, and made a profit because of the sheer volume that exists. I made sure that I could handle just about any material before I decided to expand. That strategy paid off better.




https://waste-management-world.com/a/1-the-lithium-battery-recycling-challenge

This article had a good overview as well as some interesting details about lithium. It is used in electric and hybrid vehicles, which are anticipated to rise in demand over the next few decades. The material is found most abundantly in a specific region of South America, so political unrest could potentially cause fluctuations in the amount that is available in the marketplace. Because of this, car manufacturers are trying to form strategic partnerships with producers in these countries. Lithium batteries are 100% recyclable, however they are valuable for other components and most of the lithium is not recycled because it would cost 5 times more than other sources. 

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