Transforming waste plastic into play : an interactive gaming installation utilizing immersive technology

Abstract

The escalating volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Hong Kong, with plastic waste constituting over 20%, presents formidable challenges to the city's landfill capacities. Rather than relying exclusively on top-down governmental interventions, fostering recycling awareness at the community level emerges as a more viable strategy. This paper proposes an innovative solution through the implementation of a gamified system designed to enhance community engagement in plastic recycling by offering immersive user experiences. The study introduces a multiplayer immersive platform that synergizes physical installations with virtual gaming elements. Participants interact with these installations by collecting plastic waste, earning rewards that are both virtual and tangible. This approach not only stimulates user involvement but also provides material vendors with opportunities to recycle plastic materials. Planned experiments across several major communities in Hong Kong will employ rigorous analytical methodologies to assess the system's efficacy. Preliminary frameworks suggest that this straightforward, replicable model has the potential to bolster community recycling initiatives and invigorate demand within the local plastic recycling sector.