11 Best Waste Management Board Games 2025: Top Reviews
Waste management can be fun! These board games teach sorting, recycling, and strategy. Play and learn how to tackle waste management together.
11 Best Waste Management Board Games: Sorting Fun From the Trash
Ever wanted to turn waste management into a game night hit? We hunted high and low for the best board games about waste management, but didn’t just pick anything with a trash can on the box. We looked for games that are easy to learn, fun to play, and secretly teach you a thing or two about the environment (without making you feel like you’re back in science class). Whether you love deck-building, dice rolling, or just throwing junk around, we’ve got a waste management game for every table. Get ready to clean up—literally!
On this list:
11 Garbage Day
Garbage Day nails waste management in a goofy way! We stacked tiny cards on a trash can, hoping it wouldn’t all crash down like our hopes and dreams. The theme works really well for new players, as you can pick up the rules in five minutes. Everyone enjoys the tension, especially when a friend acts like a trash Jenga champion and ruins everything. If you’re after a light waste management board game, this one makes cleaning up something fun instead of soul-crushing.
10 Waste Knights: Second Edition
Waste Knights: Second Edition is about post-apocalyptic Australia where trash and waste management become serious business. We fought mutants, fixed up our rides, and argued about whether eating canned beans from 2072 was a good idea. The game has loads of story and the decisions around what junk to keep or throw away actually matter. If you want adventure and waste management with mutants, this is a hilarious and tense pick for game night.
9 Junk Art
Junk Art brings waste management to the world of art! Picture us, building weird statues out of garbage and pretending they’re masterpieces. This game is light, fun, and super easy to teach, plus it has a million ways to play. You don’t need to be good at stacking, but you do need a steady hand and a sense of humor, which our group only had half the time.
8 Rats to Riches
Rats to Riches tackles waste management from the streets—literally. We played as rats collecting junk, trading it, and scheming our way to the top rat pile. Negotiation and sneaky tactics rule this game. Our group’s favorite part? Watching friendships fall apart over who gets the old pizza crust. It’s a quirky and accessible waste management board game that’s perfect for new players.
7 Trash Pandas
Trash Pandas made us feel like adorable raccoons obsessed with waste management. You roll dice, collect trash, and try not to bust – which means absolutely busting half the time. The push-your-luck style had us all screaming in a good way, and the theme is light enough for family or casual nights. It’s a great gateway into waste management games, minus the actual garbage smell.
6 Garbage
Garbage might have the most straightforward name in waste management board games. The card game is all about sorting and collecting garbage, and gets surprisingly tense as piles build up. We found ourselves cheering on the draws, and the simple mechanics made it easy for kids and gaming newbies to join in. It’s quick, light, and makes trash more thrilling than it should be.
5 Eco-Links
We picked Eco-Links because it puts players in the shoes of city planners connecting habitats and managing pollution, which feels a lot like waste management (minus the weird smell). It’s not only about trash, but you’ve got to keep your little city clean and sorted, which is good news for anyone who dreams about recycling bins.
4 Let’s Sort It Out!
Let’s Sort It Out! is all about waste management and teaches players about sorting trash. It’s a great pick for families and classrooms. It’s not just fun—it’s sneaky educational, like getting your veggies in a pizza.
3 Dirty Pig
Dirty Pig is as silly as it sounds, but when it comes to managing waste, it’s all about mud. We tried our best to keep our pigs dirty while friends sabotaged our plans with cleaning cards. The fast turns and chaotic fun make this a great waste management board game for kids or rowdy adults who act like kids. Short, sweet, and filled with muddy betrayal.
2 Wasteland Express Delivery Service
Wasteland Express Delivery Service tosses you into a Mad Max-style waste management job. We raced trucks across a dusty map, hauling water, food, and yes, trash. Decisions feel meaningful as you upgrade your rig or try to outsmart bandits. If you like a bit more depth and want to pretend you’re in a post-apocalyptic UPS, this game brings the waste management action in full force.
1 Dumpster Brawl
We chose Dumpster Brawl because it mixes wild waste management chaos with fast card play. It’s all about sorting junk and outsmarting your opponents. Our group laughed as much as we sorted. It’s easy for new players to pick up and feels a lot like managing waste—if waste management had sneak attacks and banana peels.
