EcoChain Lanka
A proposed peer-to-peer waste collection and recycling network that connects households, informal collectors, scrap yards, and brands through QR-verified pickups, local pricing, and auditable recovery data.
The Challenge & Core Problem
High-Level Briefing
The proposal describes fragmented recycling logistics, limited digital tracking, unpredictable material supply, and a need for auditable recovery data, while recognizing informal collectors as an existing community resource.
"Coordinate household pickups, independent collectors, scrap yards, and corporate recovery reporting without building a new fleet or requiring household phone numbers."
Hard Timebox & Rules
- The proposal uses existing independent collectors and their vehicles instead of a platform-owned fleet.
- Pickup verification uses visual confirmation with one-time QR codes or PINs, without scales or specialized hardware.
- Households can use a PWA or static QR sticker without providing a phone number.
Open Risks & Pressure Factors
- The proposed workflow must work for participants with different device access and intermittent connectivity.
- Recycling quantities and pickup verification require fraud controls while avoiding expensive equipment.
Leadership & Personal Contribution
Team Member
Real-Time Architectural Dilemmas Under Clock Pressure
The Technical Solution
EcoChain Lanka proposes a four-sided marketplace for households, independent collectors, scrap yards, and corporate brands, using QR-verified pickup records, collector routing, dynamic local pricing, and aggregated recovery data.
Data Flow & Architecture
A household PWA records pickup requests and issues one-time QR codes or PINs. Collector tools provide offline-capable routes and verification. FastAPI and PostgreSQL/PostGIS manage requests, spatial matching, transactions, and pricing, while scrap yards publish daily prices and anonymized recovery records support proposed EPR reporting.
Critical Data Pipelines
The Retrospective: What Worked & What Needs Work
What Worked
- ✓The proposal builds on existing informal collectors instead of assuming a new logistics fleet.
- ✓Privacy and low-cost access are treated as part of the service design, including QR stickers and no household phone-number collection.
- ✓The concept connects pickup verification with dynamic pricing and downstream recovery reporting.
What Still Needs Work
- ✕EcoChain Lanka is presented as a proposal; the document describes a future pilot and targets rather than verified collection or income outcomes.
Hard-Won Engineering Takeaways
A Privacy-Aware Recycling Network
EcoChain Lanka proposes a lightweight coordination layer that uses existing collectors and QR-based confirmation to connect household material with local recyclers and auditable downstream records.