As the world comes together to meet about the climate crisis, I think there’s a lot the games industry can do to make a difference. While I think it’s mostly on the big companies to do things like change packaging to be 100% recyclable and only use eco-friendly distribution services, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. What can and should happen though, is people who play games actively making a difference in their behaviors. There are so many ways we can help the planet by thinking about what we’re doing with our gaming waste, and we should be responsible and make those changes as soon as we all can.
For example, collecting is great, but make sure that you’re doing what you can to be eco-friendly. If you buy a game for a collection and not to play, recycle the packaging and keep the game in good condition. If it gets sun-damaged, it’ll end up being thrown in the bin one day, and we don’t need that. Really though, we should all be recycling packaging for our games. If you’re someone who buys a collector’s edition and bins the fancy box, stick it in the right bins at the recycling centre to ensure the world doesn’t pay more for your laziness.
This is a tough one, but digital copies of games have less of an impact on the planet than physical copies do. It’s small, but buying a digital copy is slightly better for the world. If you can, buy digital, but I do understand the importance of physical copies. When the time comes to get rid of them though, sell them or give them to someone. Don’t let them head to the bin, because it’ll just be more waste that our planet can’t handle.
World leaders are currently making false promises about emissions and changes that will never come to fruition. If we all take steps in our own lives to make the world slightly better, then it’ll improve dramatically. It just takes a few changes in your life, and then when everyone sees what you’re doing, they’ll hopefully change as well.
