Sort it out!

Inspiration

Waste management is a significant challenge in my city, Panamá, where the standard approach involves collecting trash from residents and businesses and dumping it in a single location a few kilometers from the city. Recent events have underscored the urgency of addressing this issue; notably, the city's landfill caught on fire, blanketing Panamá in smoke for more than a week. This incident vividly illustrated that the current method is not a sustainable solution. The growing popularity of proposals for an actual waste management process, including recycling, served as the inspiration for this game. While the problem is localized, it reflects a global challenge, highlighting the game's broader relevance in promoting sustainable waste management practices.

What it does

"Sort it Out!" challenges players to correctly place common household items into the appropriate recycling bins, testing their memory, concentration, and reaction time. The game is designed to keep players engaged through increasing difficulty and varied item type fostering an enjoyable learning experience.

How we built it

We developed this game using Flutter and the Flame engine, taking advantage of Flutter's cross-platform capabilities and Flame's specific features tailored for game development.

Challenges we ran into

In researching recycling cultures worldwide, we encountered the challenge of varying recycling practices, such as the color coding of bins, which differs by country and even by state in the US. To address this, we focused on gameplay that emphasizes the player's understanding of which household items can be recycled and grouped together, making the game universally educational despite regional differences.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

In just a few days, we managed to create a fun and functional game available on various platforms. This project also enhanced our technical skills, particularly in using Flutter and Flame for game development, and heightened our awareness of environmental issues and the critical role of community engagement in addressing them.

What we learned

Beyond gaining insights into the recycling process and practices in different countries, this project has been a journey of personal and technical growth. We've become more aware of the environmental challenges facing communities worldwide and the importance of collective action in overcoming them.

What's next for Sort it Out!

We believe there is significant educational potential in "Sort it Out!" and envision the possibility of expanding its impact by localizing the recycling bins and items to specific regions. My roadmap could include introducing more item types and adding fun facts on the items that can be reclycled.

Built With

• dart
• flame
• flutter