Environmental Sustainability in Board Games: A Conscious Gamer's Guide

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I used to pre-order every Kickstarter that caught my eye. Then I counted: thirty unplayed games on my shelf, each shipped from China in individual boxes, wrapped in plastic, half still shrink-wrapped.

That was my wake-up. Board gaming doesn't have to mean environmental irresponsibility—but it can, if we don't think about it.

The Environmental Footprint of Board Games

Understanding impact enables informed choices.

Materials Breakdown

Manufacturing and Shipping

Most board games are manufactured in China, involving:

• Raw material extraction and processing
• Manufacturing energy consumption
• Packaging materials
• International shipping (sea freight typically)
• Distribution and retail logistics

The largest single impact often comes from shipping individual Kickstarter fulfilments—each box treated as separate shipment rather than bulk distribution.

Over-Production Problem

Publishers often print excess inventory:

• Overstock ends up remaindered or pulped
• Kickstarter exclusives create artificial scarcity, encouraging redundant purchases
• "New hotness" cycles encourage abandoning perfectly good games

We try to print quantities that match actual demand. Overproduction isn't just wasteful—it's economically foolish. The industry is slowly realising that sustainability and profitability align more than they conflict.

The Sustainability Hierarchy

From most to least impactful:

1. Reduce (Don't Buy)

The most sustainable game is one you don't purchase.

Before buying, ask:

• Do I already own something similar?
• Will I actually play this?
• Am I buying because I want to play, or because marketing created FOMO?

The unplayed game test: Before buying anything new, play an unplayed game from your shelf. If your collection has unplayed games, you don't need more games.

2. Reuse (Buy Secondhand)

Secondhand games have zero manufacturing impact—they already exist.

Where to buy used:

• BoardGameGeek Marketplace (best selection)
• Facebook Marketplace (local deals)
• Charity shops (unpredictable but cheap)
• Board game cafés (often sell used stock)
• eBay (condition varies)
• Local game shop used sections

Condition matters less than you think. A game with worn edges plays identically to mint-in-shrink.

3. Recirculate (Sell or Trade What You Don't Play)

Games sitting unplayed benefit no one. Circulating them:

• Gives games to people who'll play them
• Reduces demand for new manufacturing
• Funds your next (hopefully played) purchase

Minimum holding period: If a game sits unplayed for 12 months, seriously consider moving it on.

4. Repair (Extend Game Life)

Before discarding damaged games:

• Replace components through publishers (many offer replacement parts)
• Print-on-demand missing cards
• 3D print replacement tokens
• Sleeve damaged cards
• Repair box corners with bookbinding tape

5. Recycle (Dispose Responsibly)

When games truly reach end of life:

• Cardboard: Fully recyclable (remove plastic coating if possible)
• Paper rulebooks: Recyclable
• Plastic miniatures: Usually not recyclable through household systems
• Metal components: Scrap metal recycling
• Mixed materials: Often landfill only

Sustainable Publishers and Practices

Some publishers actively reduce environmental impact.

Leading Examples

Stonemaier Games:

• FSC-certified paper and cardboard
• Reduced plastic use in recent releases
• Local manufacturing for European markets
• Transparent sustainability communications

Leder Games:

• Wooden components standard
• Minimal plastic content
• Quality over quantity philosophy

Pandasaurus Games:

• Reducing shrink wrap usage
• Exploring sustainable material alternatives

What to Look For

When evaluating publisher sustainability:

• FSC certification (Forest Stewardship Council) on paper products
• Minimal plastic packaging
• Regional manufacturing reducing shipping
• Quality construction promoting longevity
• Replacement parts programmes

Kickstarter Considerations

Crowdfunding presents specific challenges:

• Stretch goal "pile-on" encourages overconsumption
• Individual shipping maximises packaging waste
• Exclusives create artificial scarcity

Greener Kickstarter choices:

• Late pledge/retail options (shipped through normal distribution)
• Base game only (skip plastic-heavy add-ons)
• Local language editions when available
• Publishers with sustainability track records

Practical Actions for Gamers

Buying Decisions

Collection Management

The One-In-One-Out Rule: New game means one existing game leaves (sold, donated, traded).

Shelf audits: Quarterly review of what you actually play. If it's not getting table time, it's using resources for no benefit.

Borrowing networks: Establish lending relationships with gaming friends. Play their games; let them play yours. Collective ownership without collective consumption.

Gameplay Practices

Component care: Games well-maintained last decades. Sleeve frequently-used cards. Store properly (flat, dry, temperature-stable).

Teach rather than buy duplicates: One copy of a game can teach dozens of players who may not need their own copies.

Gaming Without Owning

Ownership isn't required for play.

Board Game Cafés

Pay-to-play establishments offer hundreds of games without purchase. Environmental impact shared across many players.

UK options: Most major cities now have dedicated board game cafés. Cost: typically £5-10 per person for unlimited play time.

Library Games

Many public libraries now stock board games for borrowing. Check your local library's collection.

Club Shared Collections

Game clubs often maintain communal libraries. Membership fees support collective purchasing rather than individual ownership.

Print-and-Play

For specific games, print-and-play versions offer minimal material use—especially for one-time play.

Disposal Done Right

When games genuinely need to go:

Donation Options

Charity shops: Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, local independent shops. Check they accept games (some don't due to missing pieces issues).

Schools: Primary and secondary schools often welcome game donations for break times and clubs.

Hospitals and care homes: Long-stay facilities benefit from entertainment donations.

Prisons: Several charities facilitate game donations to prisons.

Recycling Details

Cardboard boxes: Flatten and recycle. Remove any plastic windows.

Cardboard components: Recyclable unless heavily laminated.

Paper rules and inserts: Standard paper recycling.

Plastic bags and wrap: Specialist recycling (large supermarket collection points).

Plastic components: Usually not recyclable through household systems. Some specialist schemes exist.

Wood components: Compostable or appropriate for wood recycling.

Metal components: Scrap metal recycling.

Last Resort: Landfill

Some mixed-material components (laminated cards, complex plastic pieces) can't currently be recycled. Minimise by choosing games with recyclable materials upfront.

The Bigger Picture

Individual choices matter—but so does industry change.

What Publishers Can Do

• Reduce plastic content
• Use FSC-certified materials
• Manufacture closer to markets
• Offer replacement parts programmes
• Design for longevity over obsolescence
• Avoid artificial scarcity and exclusives

What Gamers Can Do

• Vote with wallets for sustainable publishers
• Communicate preferences to publishers
• Accept "less fancy" components if more sustainable
• Challenge industry norms on social media
• Share sustainable practices in gaming communities

What Retailers Can Do

• Stock secondhand alongside new
• Promote local publishers
• Reduce packaging in shipping
• Facilitate game recycling and donation

Frequently Asked Questions

Are plastic miniatures really that bad?

Plastic miniatures are resource-intensive to produce and essentially non-recyclable. If you love miniature-heavy games, that's a valid choice—but recognise the impact and perhaps offset by reducing purchases elsewhere.

Should I feel guilty about my collection?

Guilt isn't productive. What matters is forward-looking choices. You can't un-manufacture games you already own. But you can make different choices going forward.

Isn't secondhand buying just shifting the problem?

No. Secondhand purchases don't create demand for new manufacturing. They extend the useful life of existing products. The environmental impact of secondhand is essentially zero beyond shipping.

How do I know if a publisher is actually sustainable?

Check their website for specific claims. FSC certification is verifiable. General "we care about the environment" statements are marketing. Specific practices are actionable.

What about digital games instead?

Digital games have their own environmental costs (servers, devices, energy). But they avoid physical materials entirely. For games where digital versions are excellent (Ticket to Ride, for instance), digital alternatives are worth considering.

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Final Thoughts

Those thirty unplayed games taught me something. The hobby I love was consuming resources for games sitting unused. The pleasure came from buying, not playing—a pattern that benefits only manufacturers.

Now I buy less, buy secondhand, and play what I own. My shelves are smaller. My environmental footprint is lighter. My game nights are unchanged.

The greenest game is always the one you already have.

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The Smoothie Wars Content Team creates educational gaming content. The team now owns 47 games instead of 140, plays more frequently, and experiences dramatically less shelf guilt.