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Lifecycle
The only app needed to find specialized and municipal recycling facilities across New York City.
Year
2021
Role
Full Stack Development & Scrum Lead
Context
Academic Capstone (CUNY Tech Prep)
Platform
Cross-Platform PWA
iOS, Android & Modern Desktop WebOverview
New York City generates over 12,000 tons of waste every single day. While standard curbside recycling handles paper, cardboard, and clean containers, finding responsible disposal options for hazardous materials, rechargeable batteries, electronic waste, and textiles remains notoriously frustrating.
Lifecycle eliminates that friction. By unifying municipal open datasets from NYC Open Data with private recycling registries from Earth911, Lifecycle allows users to instantly discover certified disposal sites within walking distance of their exact location.
Locate via Radar
Tap radar icon to identify your current street coordinate
Filter Categories
Select batteries, e-waste, paint, or general drop-off
Take Action
Get turn-by-turn routes and drop off materials cleanly
Core Features
Instant Radar Locating
One-tap browser geolocation that instantly queries nearest certified collection points within customizable walking and driving radiuses.
NYC Open Data Pipeline
Direct ingestion of official municipal datasets covering residential e-waste, hazardous household chemicals, and textile recycling locations.
Earth911 API Integration
Comprehensive directory access to national recycling registries, matching specific material types (lithium batteries, motor oil, fluorescent bulbs) to certified handlers.
Progressive Web App (PWA)
Installable standalone application with service worker caching, delivering native app feel on iOS and Android without app store download barriers.
Material Category Filtering
Multi-category faceted search allowing citizens to filter centers by accepted materials, operating hours, and drop-off fees.
Directions & Facility Details
Instant Google Maps turn-by-turn routing, contact numbers, and site-specific intake guidelines to prevent rejected drop-offs.
Technical Capabilities & Specifications
| Capability | Architecture & Service Provider |
|---|---|
| Client Framework | React.js (Single Page Application architecture) |
| Map Engine & Geocoding | Google Maps JavaScript API & Google Places Library |
| Municipal Data Integration | NYC Open Data API (Socrata Open Data JSON endpoints) |
| National Recycling Registry | Earth911 REST Partner API |
| Identity & Authentication | Amazon Cognito User Pools & AWS Identity Services |
| Hosting & Deployment | Vercel Edge Network with continuous GitHub integration |
| Mobile Architecture | Progressive Web App |
Engineering Accomplishments
- Zero App Store Overhead: Implemented a full Progressive Web App standard with Web App Manifest and Service Worker caching, enabling frictionless install on iOS Safari and Android Chrome.
- Complex Nested Data Normalization: Designed a resilient client-side parser to reconcile differing schema structures between NYC Open Data (Socrata) and the Earth911 REST API.
Built With
Try Lifecycle in Your Browser
Locate nearby drop-off locations across New York City or explore my full project archive.