EcoTrack

Smart Waste Management platform

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Inspiration

EcoTrack was inspired by a simple but powerful idea: waste reporting should not be complicated. Most cities still rely on slow, manual complaint systems, which results in delayed responses, ignored reports, and poor urban cleanliness. The goal was to create a system where citizens, staff workers, authorities, and system admins can collaborate seamlessly in a single platform.

EcoTrack aims to show how AI-assisted development and modern technologies can empower anyone—not just expert developers—to build impactful civic solutions.

What it does

EcoTrack is a role-based waste reporting and management system that connects:

  • Citizens: report waste with description, location, and image
  • Staff workers: view assigned reports, update status (Pending → In-Progress → Resolved)
  • Authorities: approve staff registrations and manage workforce
  • System Admin: approve authority registrations and manage system hierarchy

Key features:

  • Clean and simple UI for all user roles
  • Real-time report tracking
  • Status updates visible to citizens
  • Automated role-based access and redirection
  • Approval workflow for staff and authority roles

How we built it

EcoTrack was built using:

  • Next.js (App Router) for a modern, fast, and scalable frontend
  • Firebase Authentication for secure user login and role-based protection
  • Firebase Firestore for storing reports, roles, and workflow data
  • TailwindCSS for clean and responsive UI
  • Lucide Icons for modern UX

The system uses a clear architecture:

  • /dashboard/* for role-specific panels
  • /register/* for separate registration flows
  • Reusable Firestore utils for creating users, fetching reports, and assigning staff

AI was used heavily in planning, debugging, and structuring the code—proving how fast full-stack products can be built with the right instructions.

Challenges we ran into

  • Deployment issues due to useSearchParams() hydration mismatches
  • Debugging Firestore structure when the user collection was accidentally deleted
  • Handling complex role-based redirects in Next.js App Router
  • Ensuring that report status updates reflect correctly across citizen and staff dashboards
  • Balancing time constraints with feature ambitions such as maps and AI integration

These challenges taught us to prioritize functionality, stability, and simplicity.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a fully functional multi-role civic reporting system
  • Clean and intuitive UI for all four roles
  • Working approval system for staff and authority
  • Real-time report updates visible to all stakeholders
  • Finished the entire core logic within strict hackathon deadlines
  • Learned how to collaborate with AI as a development partner

What we learned

  • How to build multi-role authentication and dashboards in Next.js
  • How to structure Firestore for scalable, real-world civic workflows
  • How to use AI tools effectively to speed up development
  • Importance of simplifying the scope during tight deadlines
  • Managing complex debug sessions and keeping the project stable

What's next for EcoTrack

EcoTrack will continue evolving with:

  • AI-powered smart waste categorization (using Gemini/GPT models)
  • Google Maps integration for accurate geo-location
  • Analytics dashboard for authorities to track city-wide waste hotspots
  • Gamification system to reward active reporters
  • Public API for municipalities and NGOs

EcoTrack is just starting—this is the foundation for a future-ready civic cleanliness platform.

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