ZeroRelay

1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year while 828 million people go hungry. ZeroRelay bridges the gap between merchants with surplus food and communities in need.

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Inspiration

Every year, tons of perfectly edible food are thrown away by local merchants, while millions of people suffer from food insecurity. I was inspired by the simple idea of closing the loop. I wanted to create a bridge between the surplus of the retail world and the urgent needs of local charities.

What it does

ZeroRelay is a mobile-first platform designed for eco-conscious merchants, the idea is zero waste and zero famine.

For Merchants: It provides an intuitive interface to locate nearby "Relay Sites" (food banks, shelters, or community centers). Merchants can list their unsold goods, specify the type of food (fresh, dry, bakery), and see which relay is available to accept donations in real-time.

The Goal: Facilitate a "Zero Waste" workflow while actively fighting hunger by streamlining the logistics of food redistribution.

How we built it

The Web Showcase: A responsive landing page built with React and Tailwind CSS, designed to onboard new merchants and explain the mission.

The mobile application: not yet created, but it will be developed with React Native to be cross-platform.

Challenges we ran into

Logistics & Timing: Food safety is paramount. Ensuring that fresh products are picked up within a safe timeframe was a technical challenge in terms of notification priority.

User Friction: Merchants are busy. We had to design an interface that allows a donation to be logged in less than 30 seconds to ensure they actually use the app during closing hours.

What's next for ZeroRelay

Create the mobile application in react native.

Automated Logistics: Integrating third-party eco-friendly delivery services (like cargo bikes) to help merchants who cannot travel to the relay sites.

Expansion: Scaling from a local pilot to a nationwide network of "Zero Waste Zones."

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