TerraCycle, a company that specializes in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste, is sponsoring a sustainability-themed social game for Facebook. Created by Manhattan-based startup Guerillapps , the game, called Trash Tycoon , is the first ever to highlight the concept of upcycling.

Social games maker Guerillapps has teamed up with CarbonFund.org, TreeHugger, and Terracycle to launch Trash Tycoon, a game designed to encourage “upcycling”—the process of converting trash into usable products. Instead of planting crops or building cities as in FarmVille or CityVille, in Trash Tycoon the player cleans up trash, builds worm farms, and tries to convert what starts off as a mess into a vibrant “upcycling” community. According to Guerillapps co-founder Raviv Turner, the game is aimed at educating and motivating consumers “to do the right thing.”

“Trash Tycoon is our first game in the green space,” Guerillapps co-founder Raviv Turner told VentureBeat. “We want to try and motivate consumers to do the right thing.” TerraCycle , a real-world recycling company that positions kiosks around major cities, is a sponsor for the game. Whenever a Trash Tycoon user recycles something through a TerraCycle kiosk, they earn points in the game that they can spend on virtual goods — similar to the way other social games give points for signing up for services.

“Trash Tycoon is our first game in the green space,” Guerillapps co-founder Raviv Turner told VentureBeat. “We want to try and motivate consumers to do the right thing.” TerraCycle , a real-world recycling company that positions kiosks around major cities, is a sponsor for the game. Whenever a Trash Tycoon user recycles something through a TerraCycle kiosk, they earn points in the game that they can spend on virtual goods — similar to the way other social games give points for signing up for services.

NEW YORK CITY - --(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 06, 2011-- , a Manhattan-based social gaming startup, today announces the launch of Trash Tycoon, its first green-theme social game for Facebook. The game is now available for play and takes a unique approach to social gaming by incorporating awareness for environmental issues and sustainability. The first game to ever highlight the concept of upcycling, Trash Tycoon is an immersive, fun game that presents opportunities for real-world impact. As the online community dives into game play with Trash Tycoon via Facebook, they take on the role of recycling entrepreneurs by collecting litter in a trash strewn city and upcycling waste into higher quality, environmentally-friendly products. Upcycling, a process in which discarded waste is repurposed for valuable use, can range from building a house of abandoned material to finding innovative uses for discarded plastic bags. After completing missions, users collect money and earn points to ultimately earn the title of garbage tycoons. The game’s trash-tackling premise directly mirrors that of its sponsor TerraCycle in the real, green world: a collection and solution program for typically non-recyclable waste.

Could TerraCycle and Guerillapps have hit upon the next FarmVille? The Trash Tycoon Facebook game that launched yesterday challenges players to find and recycle trash that can be used to make eco-friendly products that translate into game money and points. Its sponsors include TreeHugger and the CarbonFund.org, as well as TerraCycle.

ou can also cooperate with others to achieve these goals more efficiently! Players can help clean up other players cities, speed up the production of upcycled goods, and even chat and interact in real time. We also have programs with groups like CarbonFund.org so that every-time you purchase anything in the game, 10% gets donated to the carbon offset project of your choice! For more in-depth information on the gameplay itself, check out the FAQ over at our forums . Additionally the launch will have loads of new features for those already participating in the Beta. We'll have more visible trash-tracking systems, upgradable production buildings, new items, new goals and more! Don't worry, we also have tons of post-launch content planned as well! We'd also like to thank our sponsors at Terracycle as well. In our game, real world Terracycle teams can join together to receive in-game bonuses and items. There's also a lot of great unique Terracycle items in the game: everything from upcycled lunch boxes, to Terracycle clothing for your avatar. Beyond that, they've just been wonderful in terms of providing support and inspiration for loads of in-game content, so check them out here and if you're a part of a Terracycle team already, make sure to use our Teams function to meet up in game!