EcoShop

Helping consumers help the environment

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Inspiration

Why we need sustainable fashion

  • The cotton and textile industry is the second largest polluter, after the oil industry
  • Second biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet. Contributes to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Certain companies take steps to minimize waste, greenhouse gas, waste
  • As responsible consumers we can and should use products made from these companies when possible

What it does

  • Scans a UPC (barcode) or reads in a manually-entered UPC number
  • Loads information about the product associated with the provided UPC
  • Displays a sustainability report about the product and how much of an effect it has on different areas of the environment

How we built it

  • iOS app built using xCode, API’s used to access camera, read barcode and extract data. Cross-reference to stored product data

Challenges we ran into

  • Devising a system for numerically representing the environmental impact of certain products
  • Integrating the various APIs and underlying data structures into the code as a whole

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Managed to incorporate nearly all of the features within the allotted time to code
  • Created an app that is not only functional, but also looks like a presentable product

What we learned

  • Swift
  • General process for implementing and using APIs
  • True impact of the fashion industry on the environment

What's next for EcoShop

  • Expand beyond the clothing industry: food, services, other retail products, etc.
  • Improve backend functionality to allow for more scalable data storage solutions
  • Formalize process for grading the environmental impact of individual products

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