E-waste is the rising tide.

Small e-waste
is the tsunami.

2022 · SMALL DEVICES: 20.4 Mt · ONLY 12% RECYCLED 2030 · 82 MtALL E-WASTE, PROJECTED

Electronic waste

Definition: Contains microchip, is powered by cord or battery

Impacts Environment & Health

↑ Attention & lack of agency → climate anxiety = inaction

Alex, 10

Alex wants a better future.

But he cannot see how one small action can make a difference.

Alex, a concerned ten-year-old child who feels that his actions do not matter

Why play

Agency of Play

Actmake a real choice

Seeget instant feedback

Retryfail safely

Masterbuild confidence

Results

Testing changed the game.

Fun before the messageThe sorting challenge worked even without environmental interest.
Failure became visibleAn unclear water fail state was exposed and redesigned.
Concept became productWhiteboard, paper, digital mock-up and native build.
Playable across devicesVerified on iPhone, iPadOS and Android.

Paper prototype displayed on a wall — Paper v1

Paper prototype on the work table — Paper v2

Participant acting during the 13 August playtest — Iteration

The game

Time Wasted!

Objects fall. Choices reshape the world.

Tappop the battery

Swiperecycle or trash

Seeimpact on nature

Native · offline · no ads · no accounts · no data collection

Competition

Learning × Onboarding

Junkyard Builder · Timberborn
Simulation & strategy games

Low onboarding High onboarding Learning

Candy Crush

Loddlenaut

Grow Recycling School lesson

Junkyard Builder

Recycling Center Sim

Timberborn

Time Wasted!

Qualitative positioning, not measured scores. Current official descriptions reviewed 13 August 2026.

After playing

But Alex already knows where your phone will end up.

Because…

Alex putting a presentation clicker into an electronics recycling bin

Call to action

Run all three roads now.

They do not compete. Together, they turn one game into evidence and adoption.

AFundingUU Innovation

AskApply for verification support

PilotFund two school classes

ContinueFinance the next iteration

UnlockA verified pilot

BDeliveryMunicipal partner

ConnectBring in a waste partner

UseReach 20 real players

LearnIterate from live feedback

UnlockA route to schools

CEvidenceUppsala researcher

DesignAgree a pre/post test

MeasureTest battery recognition

PublishShare the results openly

UnlockEvidence to scale

Play it now. Help us open A + B + C. 2027 changes the hardware. We start changing the habit today.

The askWe are not asking the room to choose one route. These workstreams can begin together. A: help us explore eligible verification support through UU Innovation. B: introduce a municipal or producer-responsibility partner who can put the game in front of real users. C: connect us with a researcher who can define the evaluation before the pilot. The game remains free, offline, ad-free and data-free; we publish the pilot results openly. We do not imply WHO funding or endorsement. The goal is evidence strong enough to share with the WHO e-waste and child-health network.[Sources]UU Innovation support for students and funding identification: https://www.uu.se/en/students/careers/innovation-and-entrepreneurship · UU Innovation verification funding: https://www.uu.se/en/staff/gateway/research/innovation-support/idea-development/funding · EU guidance confirming battery removability and replaceability rules apply from 18 February 2027: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025XC00214 · WHO Initiative on E-waste and Child Health: https://www.who.int/initiatives/e-waste-and-child-health-initiative