Reducing Plastic Waste in Manufacturing
In my second hackathon, I took on a leadership role in a team comprised of women with limited tech experience. Transitioning from a designer to product manager, I guided the team through the entire product development process. Our objective was to address the challenge presented by Canton Aargau: reducing waste burning from plastic manufacturers.
Solution: We conceptualized and developed PL Connect, a groundbreaking platform designed to combat plastic waste in manufacturing. The platform enables manufacturers to offer leftover plastic to other businesses in the vicinity. Our algorithm classifies these offers based on compatibility with the recipient's manufacturing process. Even non-compatible offers are displayed during specific searches, fostering innovation in plastic re-utilization.
Key Features: • Our algorithm identifies and classifies plastic offers based on compatibility. • Simplified, one-step process for submitting new plastic offers. • Non-compatible offers are also displayed, encouraging creative solutions and collaboration.
Achievements: • Our team successfully delivered a fully-fledged Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within the two-day hackathon, standing as the only team to achieve this feat. • The project propelled us into the finals, showcasing the viability and impact of PL Connect.
Future Roadmap: • User Feedback: Soliciting feedback to enhance user experience and meet industry standards. • Reward Program: Introducing a reward system to incentivize participation and highlight companies' efforts in plastic re-utilization. • Expansion: Aiming to reach manufacturing companies across Switzerland.
On top of this page, you can watch the pitch video I put together in less than 40 minutes during the hackathon. You can also play with the figma prototype here.
Our journey from a diverse team with varying skill sets to the development of PL Connect exemplifies the potential of collaboration and innovation, particularly in addressing environmental challenges. We are excited about the positive impact PL Connect could make in reducing plastic waste and fostering sustainable practices in the manufacturing industry.
- RELEASE DATE: November 2023
- TAGS: Figma, Adobe Express, Miro