EcoTrack - Community Recycling Map

Empowering communities to reduce plastic waste through awareness and action.

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♻️ EcoTrack: A Community-Driven Waste Reporting Platform

🌍 Project Inspiration

Living in Bhubaneswar, I’ve often noticed plastic bags and other waste littering streets — even around IT parks and commercial areas. Despite daily waste collection by municipal trucks and vans, cleanliness remains inconsistent. This made me realize that even with systems in place, awareness and coordination are lacking.

As someone working in IT, I felt I could contribute through technology — by creating a platform where people can report waste sightings, connect with Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs), and involve the community in active waste management. The goal is to bridge the gap between waste generation and cleanup action using a user-friendly digital interface.

📜 Project History

Initially, I had no specific direction other than wanting to help clean up my surroundings. But as I researched more, I discovered DWCCs — government-recognized centers responsible for dry waste collection and recycling, often working with NGOs and recyclers.

To my surprise, many areas (including mine) had no visible DWCCs listed online, and waste was being transported to state borders for processing. That discovery led to a deeper mission — to build awareness, improve resource visibility, and offer alternatives like kabadiwalas (local ragpickers) who already operate within the community.

👥 Roles

To make the platform more collaborative and scalable:

🧑‍💻 Users:

  • 🔍 Can search for DWCCs near their location.
  • ➕ If none exist, they can submit details of a nearby kabadiwala with location and contact info. (in progress)
  • 🎮 Can play the awareness game or report uncollected waste.

This ensures community-driven contributions while keeping data quality in check.

🗺️ Use of Google Maps Platform

Google Maps Platform powers the location-based functionality:

  • 📍 Captures user’s current location.
  • 🧭 Identifies DWCCs within ~5 km radius.
  • 📞 Displays their contact info and pickup status.
  • 🚫 If no DWCCs are nearby, displays verified kabadiwalas instead.
  • 📌 Allows users to suggest new kabadiwalas with location pin and contact info.(in progress)

Currently, the location data is static, but integration with real-time APIs is planned in the next phase.

💡 Key Learnings & Differentiators

📚 Key Learnings:

  • Learned how cities like Indore stayed India’s cleanest city for 8 years, largely due to citizen participation and proper segregation.
  • Realized the importance of hyper-local solutions like kabadiwalas when formal systems are unavailable.
  • Designed a waste segregation game to educate users in a fun and memorable way.
  • Introduced a user-admin workflow to ensure the system remains trustworthy and community-driven.

🌟 Differentiators:

  • ✅ Builds awareness, not just a tool.
  • 🙌 Encourages community input and responsibility.
  • 🧠 Combines education + action through games and reporting tools.
  • 🔍 Makes otherwise invisible systems like DWCCs discoverable and approachable.

🔧 Current Status & What’s Next

✅ Features Live:

  • 🌐 Landing page
  • 📍 Location capture
  • 🧾 DWCC info display (or kabadiwala fallback)
  • 🎮 Waste segregation game
  • 📬 Contact/collaboration form

🚧 Coming Soon:

  • 🔄 Real-time API integration for DWCCs
  • 📨 Pickup request submission
  • 🌐 Interactive map filtering and routing
  • ✅ Admin panel for verifying user submissions
  • 📊 Dashboard for tracking waste reports and kabadiwala requests

🤝 Get Involved

If you're passionate about sustainability, civic tech, or just want to contribute, reach out via the Contact section. Whether it’s adding data, designing features, or sharing feedback — every bit helps.

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