'Uberising' plastic waste collection in Malaysia
Capgemini and Heng Hiap Industries united to form a cohesive strategy to bolster a 'circular' plastic recycling approach in Southeast Asia. Collectively, we've crafted an extensive five-year plan with a focus on modernizing the recycling procedure via a mobile app constructed to 'uberise' the gathering of plastic waste.
ROLE
UX Designer
CLIENT
Heng Hiap Industries
TIMELINE
Oct 2021 - Mar 2022
CHALLENGES
How can we design a mobile app that ‘uberise’ plastic waste recycling in Malaysia, with the scalability across Southeast Asia – without relying on the traditional linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model of consumption?
OBJECTIVES
To design an ‘uberised’ plastic waste collection mobile app (MVP) that is seamless, user-friendly, and impactful in motivating Malaysians to embrace a sustainable lifestyle within a three-week design sprint.
APPROACH
→ Research
During our business requirements gathering and stakeholder interviews, we identified two key customer personas and the challenges they encountered: Consumers and Recyclable Collectors.
The main barriers to recycling among Consumers includes:
Lack of motivation.
Inconvenience
Uncertainty about proper recycling practices
The difficulties existing Recyclable Collectors faced includes:
To effectively increase the volume of plastic waste collected from households, factories, shipyards, and offices.
Less or non-tech-savvy.
→ Strategy and Design Principles
Our strategy goes beyond merely simplifying recycling for consumers; it also focuses on seamlessly onboarding both existing and new Recyclable Collectors within the community, maintaining a balanced supply and demand.
To guide the development of the mobile app (MVP) and ensure alignment with both user needs and business objectives, the team established four core design principles:
• Rewarding
• Convenient
• Transparent
• Educational
SmartSkrap - Malaysia's first plastic waste collection app
→ Hurdles
As we developed the user flow and overall experience for the mobile app (MVP), several key questions emerged. One of of the challenges we encountered was determining how to manage disputes between Consumers and Recyclable Collectors regarding the weight of recyclables submitted and the corresponding rewards provided.
To address this question, we have aligned the below approaches with our stakeholders and integrated them into the app’s user flow:
Weight Verification and Photo Documentation
Upon pickup, Collectors would weigh the recyclables on the spot so that both the Consumers and Collectors would see the recorded weight in real-time. The Collector would then proceed to upload photos of the recyclables and input its final weight onto the app as visual proof to avoid disputes.
Receipt and Confirmation
After verifying the weight and uploading of visual proof, the app would then generate a digital receipt that provides details such as the weight of recyclables, the estimated reward, and a breakdown of recyclable materials submitted. Both the Consumers and Collectors must confirm and approve the details through the app before the transaction is completed.
Consumer and Collector Ratings
A rating system is introduced for both Consumers and Collectors, similar to ride-hailing services, where each party rates the other after a collection. This would encourage accountability and professionalism, reducing the likelihood of disputes.
Clear Terms and Conditions
Establish clear guidelines and policies within the app for how disputes will be handled, including timelines for resolution acceptable evidence, and an escalation process. Transparency in these policies builds trust between Consumers and Collectors.
OUTCOMES
We are excited to have successfully developed an ‘uberised’ plastic waste collection mobile app (MVP) that enables Consumers to schedule recyclable pickups anytime, anywhere, while earnings rewards for their contributions. The app also benefits Collectors by offering a new stream of recyclables to collect and sell, with an easy-to-use interface for tracking their earnings.
This integration of features for both Consumers and Recyclable Collectors makes the app a comprehensive, on-stop solution for fostering a sustainable ecosystem.
→ Consumers
Arrange a Pick-up Anytime, Anywhere
Consumers can simply schedule an ad-hoc recyclable pick-up within fingertips from their home, restaurants or offices.
Recycle & Be Rewarded
Consumers will receive a token of appreciation for completing every successful recyclable pick-up or tasks from on-going campaigns. All earnings made by the consumers are withdraw-able via DuitNow.
Learn From The Knowledge Library
Consumers are now equipped with a wide repository of information on sustainability as well as recycling tips & tricks to help them kickstart a greener lifestyle.
Know Your Impact
Consumers will be updated on the progress and impact of their recycling efforts via the built-in net neutrality score tracker, in hope, to spur them on towards 100% net neutrality goal.
→ Recyclable Collectors
Easily Find Available Jobs
Simply browse and accept jobs through our intuitive collector’s dashboard! Filter through pick-up locations and collectors will only be shown jobs which fit their vehicle’s pick-up weight limit.
Drop-off The Recyclables and Receive Your Earnings
Recyclable collectors are ensured to be fairly rewarded for their efforts based on the amount of recyclables collected as well as their distance travelled. We strive to establish an ecosystem of reliable collectors.
Track Your Earnings, Pick-ups & Contributions
Recyclable collectors can easily track their earnings (daily/ weekly/ monthly/ annually), number of pick-ups, and monitor their periodic contributions within fingertips.
REFLECTION
As this was my first commercial UX project, I dedicated significant time to mastering iOS design fundamentals. This preparation facilitated faster implementation by the development team, minimising the need for custom-built components.
I collaborated closely with all stakeholders to optimise the user experience across both online and offline interactions, addressing the needs of various user groups, including Consumers, Collectors, and Recycling Yard Owners.
Localisation of app features to suit the Malaysian market, integrating familiar services such as Waze, DuitNow, and Touch 'n Go.
Understanding the technical logic and limitations from the developers' perspective informed my design choices, ensuring feasibility and efficiency in implementation.
Like what you see? Let's create something remarkable together.