Inspiration
My team and I have always felt a passion for technology, drawn to its ability to build and improve lives. But recently we have become aware of the massive negative impacts that the tech industry has on our environment. Wanting to support an industry we love and to protect our green world, we were driven to create a website to inform and support our community in making sustainable choices for computer electronics. We hope to reduce the amount of E-Waste (electronic waste) being generated and to inform our community of the proper ways of E-Waste disposal, while advocating for further change within our government. TechCycler aims to create a sustainable tech industry by first promoting responsible choices by members in our community.
What it does
Our team strives to inform people of the negative consequences that poor electronic management can have, on not only the consumer, but on the environment as well. This website sets the scene by clearly describing the impacts that electronic waste has worldwide, a topic many people may be ill informed about. By using the catalog, searching your computer brand, battery type, GPU Brand, or CPU Brand, it presents you with information regarding how to properly take care of your device, where to trade in, sell or recycle your computer. The catalog also includes information on how to keep your computer and it's components in good condition to maximize their lifespan and to decrease the amount of consumed electronics.
How we built it
TechCycler was built in Visual Studio Code. The front end was built using HTML and CSS to design a user-friendly UI with an aesthetic appeal to enhance the user’s experience. The back end was programmed in JavaScript including searching algorithms for specific data in files, and functional design features.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest challenges we faced was creating properly formatted data when information was added to the Catalog page. It took some time to develop an output that included relevant information and looked good with the input the user chose to add. Since we allowed users to select which inputs to respond to and which to ignore, we had to ensure that the program could respond appropriately for each potential formatting output.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud of our catalog's ability to provide useful information for all types of user inputs, including generating maps to local recycling centers and offering general information for non-specific searches about computer maintenance and disposal.
What we learned
Creating TechCycler was a great learning experience for our team. It was the first fully completed website we developed, allowing us to learn a lot about the entire web development process, from planning to execution. We also gained valuable experience in troubleshooting and fixing bugs in our code. On top of that we learned about how we can personally make contributions to protecting the environment.
What's next for TechCycler
In the future, we plan to continue enhancing our website by expanding our Catalog's data pool and adding more electronic devices to reach a broader audience. We also hope to empower users to engage in E-Waste protection by connecting them with organizations and providing donation opportunities. We’re excited about the potential TechCycler has to contribute to a sustainable world and look forward to these developments!
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