SnapCycle

SnapCycle analyzing a styrofoam box.
SnapCycle analyzing a cardboard box.

Inspiration

I (Sahil Joshi) had come across a shocking article that showed just how much recyclable material is put into trash and conversely, how much trash is put into the recycling. This had taken up so many resources that could be used better, so I devised the first ideas for SnapCycle. I immediately contacted my friend and fellow coder (Hanmei Zhen) and we began to brainstorm. Pairing our collective coding knowledge, we set out to create an application that could solve this problem; SnapCycle.

What it does

When the user uploads an image from their camera or photo library, SnapCycle analyzes it and tells them if their item is recyclable or not and where they can recycle it.

How we built it

We used HTML and CSS for the front-end, while using JavaScript for the back-end, handling the image fetching and API.

Challenges we ran into

Due to school and other extracurriculars, it was difficult to find time to coordinate and work on the project together. Not to mention, both of us were beginners to JavaScript, and it was difficult for us to manage the API. But, through a mixture of late-night voice calls, trial and error, and various YouTube tutorials, we pushed through it.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of the general look and feel of our website, along with the simplicity and ease of using the upload and analyze features. We're also proud that we got it done in the time allotted, especially given various responsibilities and time constraints.