Chapter 1

Introduction

Project Context

Global consumption has surged in today's era of widespread internet access and technological advancement, leading to a significant increase in waste from abandoned products (Law et al., 2020; Research Handbook on Ethical Consumption, 2023). This surge has led to the accumulation of underutilized items within households, a significant issue, particularly for individuals with hoarding tendencies. Limited living space, organizational challenges, and the burden of managing underutilized possessions confront these individuals (Phelan et al., 2020). The accumulation of items leads to clutter, health and safety hazards, and complicates waste disposal efforts, putting additional strain on already stretched municipal services. Hoarding poses severe challenges not only to individuals but also to broader societal systems. In developing countries across Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, garbage collection services are struggling to manage the increasing volume of waste, which leads to serious environmental and public health risks (Olalo et al., 2022).

In the Philippines, only 65% of the population has access to municipal waste collection services, highlighting critical deficiencies in waste management infrastructure that exacerbate environmental degradation (Olalo et al., 2022). This inadequate infrastructure leads to improper waste disposal, contributing to severe environmental problems. Additionally, while 58% of Filipino online consumers are comfortable buying second-hand apparel, the lack of efficient platforms to facilitate the resale and reuse of goods means that many items still end up as waste, further worsening the problem (Research Handbook on Ethical Consumption, 2023).

In ASEAN nations, including Indonesia, significant gaps in environmental awareness and education persist, with only 4.4% of respondents aware of the nearest recycling facility and 52.6% not believing improperly disposed rubbish reaches the ocean (Phelan et al., 2020). This highlights the need for improved public education and recycling infrastructure to enhance recycling rates and reduce environmental impact.

Globally, developing countries contribute significantly to waste-related environmental issues. An estimated 5 to 13 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean annually from these regions (Law et al., 2020). In developed countries like the United States, waste management challenges persist, such as the generation of 100 million pounds of waste annually in national parks. Despite efforts, only 39.8% of consumer electronics are recycled in the U.S., indicating room for improvement in recycling practices and waste reduction strategies (Mateer et al., 2020; Arain et al., 2020).

Clucash is an innovative online platform created to simplify the process of selling used stuff, minimize domestic mess, and aid individuals who struggle with hoarding by helping them manage their excessive accumulation of belongings. Clucash enables users to purchase, sell, and auction unwanted stuff, promoting the practice of reusing products rather than disposing of them. The developer aims to provide a solution that efficiently assists hoarders in clearing their houses while also allowing them to generate income from unwanted objects that still retain value.

Purpose and Description

The Clucash capstone project addresses the challenges associated with household clutter. Clucash aims to assist individuals, particularly hoarders, in decluttering their homes by encouraging them to reuse and sell items while benefiting financially from it and reducing clutter in their homes.

Rationale, Timeliness, and Relevance: Clucash was born from the challenges faced by hoarders and individuals seeking to declutter their homes, including limited living space, time constraints, and underutilization of items. The surge in online shopping has intensified consumption and disposal rates, increasing these issues. This project is timely and relevant because it addresses the growing problem of waste and clutter while aligning with current trends in sustainable living and minimalism. By promoting a circular economy, Clucash supports responsible consumption and environmental conservation, making it a crucial solution for today's consumer-driven society.

Possible Solutions and Improvements: Clucash aims to revolutionize how hoarders and individuals approach decluttering through an online platform. By simplifying the process of organizing and selling items for busy individuals, the platform allows users to efficiently manage their belongings and improve their homes. This approach supports sustainable living practices and fosters a community-driven culture of reuse and resourcefulness. Clucash improves current waste management by providing an easy-to-use tool that encourages item reuse and repurposing.

Beneficiaries and Their Benefits: Clucash's primary beneficiaries are hoarders and individuals seeking to declutter their living spaces. They can sell their unused items to generate financial resources or auction them to those collectors. Clucash provides a practical solution for users to reclaim space in their homes while contributing positively to the environment and community.

Contribution to Knowledge: Clucash introduces a novel method for hoarders and individuals to declutter effectively while realizing tangible benefits. By offering services to sell or auction items, the platform empowers users with options to manage their possessions responsibly. This contributes to broader knowledge about sustainable consumption practices and the potential of digital solutions in waste reduction efforts. Clucash fills a gap in current research by demonstrating the effectiveness of digital platforms in promoting household organization and environmental sustainability.

Possible Implications: Clucash's successful implementation could result in significant reductions in household clutter and waste generation. Clucash promotes reuse and facilitates easy access to secondhand markets, encouraging a shift away from a disposal culture towards a more sustainable approach to managing personal used belongings. This not only enhances individual well-being by creating cleaner and more organized living spaces but also contributes to environmental conservation efforts. Clucash has the potential to influence future research, policy, and practice in sustainable living and waste management.

Problem Statement and Objective

General Problem

• Excessive retention of items at home.

Specific Problems

• Inefficient use of available time to declutter their home.

• Limited alternative options to repurpose or sell surplus used items.

General Objective Reduce household clutter by 10% through effective utilization options such as selling items.

Specific Objectives

• Decrease the time of listing items by 10% by simplifying the listing process of items to be decluttered.

• Increase the number of available options for item utilization from 1 to 2 by adding options for auctioning an item.

Capstone Project Gap Objectives

Simplified Listing: Develop a streamlined process for adding items to Clucash for decluttering purposes. This simplified listing process involves simplified interfaces, making it easier for users to upload item details, photos, and pricing information quickly and accurately.

Automated Information Fill-in: Implement automated features to automatically populate item information fields for items during the listing process. This enhancement can leverage extracting relevant details from already uploaded information.

Auction Option: Provide an auction option for alternative selling options for the items of the user. By offering the auction option, Clucash aims to cater to users that prefer auction style.

Offering Items to Stores: Enable users to directly offer their listed items to stores and shop owners within the Clucash platform. This feature provides an additional selling option, allowing second-hand stores, thrift shops, and suppliers to browse and purchase items.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

Scope:

• Innovate the process of decluttering the homes of hoarders and individuals who seek to declutter.

• Target hoarders and individuals looking to declutter their homes.

• Incorporate options for selling and auctioning items to reduce household clutter.

• The study spans 12 months, including the development, testing, and deployment phases of the Clucash platform.

Limitation:

• Platform accessibility may be hindered by internet connectivity problems, particularly in areas with poor infrastructure.

• Geographical factors could limit effectiveness, affecting user participation and market reach.

• Clucash is optimized for internet use and may not be compatible with all devices, potentially limiting accessibility and usability.

• The platform is tailored specifically for secondhand or surplus items, limiting its applicability to new goods.