Clutter2Cash | Devpost

Logo
Dashboard Screen showing all features
User dashboard showing the user's achievement
Places you can sell your object
Places you can donate your object to
Profile screen for app preferences
Profile screen for app preferences in Dark mode
Dashboard in Dark Mode
User dashboard in dark mode showing the user's achievement
User scanning history in dark mode

🌍 Inspiration

Every year, millions of usable items are thrown away, not because they lack value, but because people don’t know what they’re worth. We wanted to change that. Clutter2Cash was inspired by the idea of building a smarter, greener future, where AI and sustainability work hand in hand. We imagined an app that helps people declutter their homes, earn money, and help the planet — all at once.

💡 What It Does

Clutter2Cash uses Google’s Gemini AI to identify everyday household items and estimate their resale value and CO₂ savings from keeping them out of landfills. Users can:

Snap a photo or describe an item
Receive AI-powered value estimates
See how much carbon they save by reusing or reselling
Sign in securely with Auth0 for a personalized, safe experience

It’s a step toward a smart circular economy to turn clutter into cash and waste into worth.

⚙️ How We Built It

We built Clutter2Cash using a React Native (Expo) frontend for cross-platform access and a Node.js + Express backend for fast, scalable processing.

Gemini API powers the AI recognition and pricing engine.
Auth0 handles secure user authentication and data protection.
The backend processes each uploaded image or text input, sending it to Gemini for analysis and returning: [ \text{Item Name, Estimated Value ($), and CO₂ Saved (kg)} ] The entire system runs seamlessly through authenticated API calls between the app and server.

🧱 Challenges We Ran Into

AI integration: Calibrating Gemini to accurately recognize different items and provide realistic pricing.
Networking issues: Ensuring the mobile app could connect to the local backend during development.
User experience: Designing a clean, intuitive interface that simplifies a complex AI process.
Sustainability metrics: Translating environmental data into easy-to-understand user insights.

🏆 Accomplishments That We’re Proud Of

Successfully integrated Gemini AI to provide dynamic, accurate product recognition.
Built a secure and scalable authentication system with Auth0.
Designed a functional prototype that promotes eco-conscious behavior through technology.
Created a bridge between AI innovation and real-world sustainability impact.

📚 What We Learned

We learned how to:

Combine AI and sustainability to drive meaningful social change.
Securely manage user data with Auth0.
Optimize mobile-to-server communication in real-time.
Translate technical outcomes (AI predictions, CO₂ data) into simple but valuable insights.

This project showed us how technology can make sustainable living more accessible, measurable, and rewarding.

🚀 What’s Next for Clutter2Cash

Smart Marketplace: Allow users to directly list and sell their items through the app.
CO₂ Leaderboard: Let users track and compare their environmental impact.
Partnerships: Collaborate with local charities and recycling programs to expand reuse options.
Enhanced AI: Train the Gemini model with custom datasets for even greater accuracy.

Ultimately, we envision Clutter2Cash as a platform that empowers people to see waste as opportunity — driving both a smarter economy and a cleaner planet.