Just when you thought recycling could not get more gamified, Heraklion’s municipality has launched a new “Green Mission” through its Followgreen platform: The Recycling Backpack. The campaign asks students (and their parents, who will actually deal with it) to learn about reusing and recycling old school items—bags, notebooks, pencil cases—while dangling a €250 Plaisio voucher as bait.
Yes, recycling has become a monthly sweepstakes. Each “mission” promises education, environmental awareness, and “rich gifts.” To qualify, users must complete the steps of the mission on the Followgreen website and enter a draw. A random number generator picks winners, and their prize is couriered after identity verification. Saving the planet has never looked so much like an online contest.
The municipality’s press release describes this as part of an ongoing effort to “raise awareness among young and old in all schools.” The Cleanliness, Environment & Energy department is behind it, alongside the Studies, Planning & Recycling unit—because nothing says sustainability quite like an office with three slashes in its title.
The official action points are straightforward enough:
- Learn about the reuse and recycling of school bags, notebooks, and supplies
- Reduce waste and “contribute to environmental protection”
- Earn reward points by completing the online mission
- Enter the monthly draw for prizes
In theory, it is a win-win. Kids get a crash course in circular economy basics, parents declutter closets, and someone walks away with a shiny voucher. In practice, the initiative risks sounding like a marketing gimmick with green paint. A 250-euro carrot may get attention, but it is not quite the systemic change waste management needs.
Still, the idea of a recycling backpack mission is charming in its own way. If only the city could apply the same gamified zeal to pothole repairs or waste collection schedules. Until then, Heraklion remains a place where environmental awareness comes with prize draws, and the road to sustainability is paved with online quizzes and courier packages.
