Julius Lagazo

Final Project Proposal

31 Mar 2026

UH Manoa Logo

Project: CycleSense

Collaboratively written by: Joshua Au, Tyler Unger, Danil Knight, Riley Herradura, and Julius Lagazo

To cap off our ICS 314: Software Engineering I course, our team is working on a final project that is based on this developed proposal. Our final project is intended to serve the UH Manoa community by making campus recycling easier to access, understand, and more visible during time spent on campus. The final application will be built using Next.js, React, Bootstrap 5, and GitHub-hosted deployment.

Overview

The Problem

Recycling is something that many individuals support in theory, however, practicing the movement can be incovenient on a large campus like UH Manoa. Someone may want to recycle a bottle or can but, if the nearest recycling bin is not obvious then that item has a higher chance ending up in a regular trash bin instead. This problem is not necessarily caused by a lack of interest in sustainability, rather it may be by a lack of visibility and accessibility to recycling bins. In those moments, even a small amount of inconvenience can discourage an individual from a proper disposal.

The Solution

Our solution is CycleSense, a web application designed to help UH Manoa community members quickly find recycling sources on campus quickly and efficiently. At its core, CycleSense provides a map showing the locations of recycling bins; Moreover, there is supporting information such as announcements, sorting guidance, and campus recycling updates. Instead of forcing individuals on campus to search multiple sources or rely on memory, the app puts all relevant recycling information into one centralized and easy-to-use platform.

Approach: Our Mockup Page Ideas

Currently, we envision the application as a small collective of focused pages that each support a different part of the recycling experience. The pages are broken down as follows:

  1. Home Page: Introduces CycleSense, explains its purpose, and provides quick access to major features of the application.
  2. Map Page: The central feature of the system, displays campus recycling locations using pins and allows users to visually locate nearby recycling bins.
  3. Announcements Page: Will display relevant campus updates, including information from initiatives like Bottles4College and other events.
  4. Sorting Guide Page: Helps users understand what materials can and cannot be recycled in the located bins.
  5. Statistics Page: Present sustainability-related information in a simple yet engaging way.
  6. Admin Management Page: May also be included so authorized users can add, remove, or update map pins and announcements; to help keep the system maintainable and relevant over time.

Use Case Ideas

Here is our end-to-end scenarios of using the system:

  1. Users goes to the home page, can navigate to announcements/map/sorting guide/statistics
  2. Admin logs in, goes to the home page, can navigate to announcements/map/sorting guide/statistics, and can add or remove pins in real time

Beyond the Basics

The baseline version of CycleSense would already be usefual as a recycling map and information hub, however, our team also sees several ways to extend it beyond basic functionality. One advanced feature would be user-submitted pin suggestions, where users can recommend additional recycling locations they find that may not yet appear in the system. These submissions can then be reviewed by an admin before being published for others to see as well. Another advanced feature would be full-bin reporting, which will allow users to mark a location as full or temporarily unavailable. This would make the app more practical in real campus use since the closest bin may not always be the most useful once if it can’t be used.

Takeaway

Overall, CycleSense has the potential to encourage better recycling habits on UH Manoa’s campus. CycleSense is a project that is technically manageable, directly relevant to the UH Manoa community, and capable of growing into a richer interactive application. Rather than relying on scattered information or personal memory, the application brings together map-based bin locations, announcements, and recycling guidance into a single system accessible by all. The app addresses a real campus problem with a practical solution while leaving room for meaningful features that go beyond a standard website. For these reasons, we believe this is why our proposla is a strong candidate for our ICS 314 final project.