Trash Talk

"Game On, Waste Gone!" Trash Talk turns waste sorting into fun. Snap a photo, earn points, and join friends in making sustainability exciting and impactful, one small action at a time.

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Inspiration

Trash Talk draws inspiration from the Apple Fitness app, particularly its engaging visual elements like activity rings and step counters. We were motivated by how these features effectively gamified fitness, and we wanted to apply a similar approach to waste management and recycling.

What it does

Trash Talk transforms waste sorting into an interactive, competitive game. Users can:

  • Snap photos of items to instantly identify their proper disposal category
  • Earn points (Points are Co2 emissions saved) for correct sorting
  • Climb leaderboards and challenge friends
  • Track their environmental impact in real-time

How we built it

We developed Trash Talk using a combination of technologies:

  • JavaScript, HTML, and CSS for the frontend
  • JSON for data management
  • OpenRouter for AI-powered image recognition
  • Lucide icons for a clean, modern UI

Challenges we ran into

One major challenge was ensuring accurate AI identification of various waste items. We also faced difficulties creating a user interface that was both informative and engaging. Also just packages not working together and downloading properly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of successfully gamifying waste management, making it as engaging as fitness tracking. Our AI-powered image recognition system achieves high accuracy in waste categorization, and our leaderboard system effectively motivates users to improve their sorting habits.

What we learned

We gained insights into the power of gamification in promoting sustainable behaviours. We also learned the intricacies of AI implementation in application and AI optimization and the importance of user-friendly design in encouraging regular website usage.

What's Next for Trash Talk

Plans include:

  • Expanding our AI capabilities to recognize more diverse items
  • Implementing community challenges with local recycling centers and having drop-off points (Where to put the garbage)
  • Partnering with local recycling centers so for certain items can request pick up
  • Developing features to track and visualize long-term environmental impact
  • Turning this into an App for convenience
  • Email Weekly report for progress made

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