🧺 Clutter2Cash

Find worth in what's left behind Snap a photo or describe an item, and Clutter2Cash identifies it, estimates resale value, and calculates CO₂ savings from keeping it out of landfill. Built in one weekend by a team of first-time hackers 💪.

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🌟 Hackathon Highlights

🏆 Best Use of Gemini API (MLH)

We harnessed Google Gemini to make sustainability smart. Gemini processes uploaded images or text to:

• Identify the item
• Estimate resale value
• Calculate environmental impact (CO₂ saved)

Gemini is the intelligent core that bridges AI and sustainability — analyzing visuals and text in real time.

🔐 Auth0 Integration (Bonus Category)

We implemented Auth0 for secure, passwordless authentication — ensuring users can sign up or log in easily and safely. Perfect for rapid hackathon development.

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⚙️ Tech Stack

Layer	Technologies
Frontend	React Native (Expo)
Backend	Node.js + Express
AI Engine	Google Gemini via @google/generative-ai
Auth	Auth0
Database	MongoDB (Mongoose)
Tunnel	ngrok

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🚀 Getting Started

🔧 1️⃣ Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Clutter2Cash/clutter2cash.git
cd clutter2cash

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⚙️ 2️⃣ Backend Setup

a. Install dependencies

cd backend
npm install

b. Create a .env file inside /backend

GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key_here
MONGO_URI=mongodb+srv://your_mongo_uri_here
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_here
PORT=5001

c. Start the backend

node server.js

✅ You should see:

Server running on http://localhost:5001

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🌐 3️⃣ Connect with ngrok (for mobile access)

a. Install and authenticate ngrok

npm install -g ngrok
ngrok config add-authtoken <your_ngrok_token>

b. Start the tunnel

ngrok http 5001

c. Copy the Forwarding URL shown (e.g., https://xxxxx.ngrok-free.dev)

Then update your .env files:

In /clutter2cash/.env

BASE_URL=https://xxxxx.ngrok-free.dev
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key_here
NGROK_TOKEN=your_ngrok_token_here

In /backend/.env

BASE_URL=https://xxxxx.ngrok-free.dev

💡 Tip: You can view the ngrok web interface at http://127.0.0.1:4040

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📱 4️⃣ Run the Frontend (React Native)

From the root directory:

npx expo start --tunnel

Then scan the QR code using Expo Go on your mobile device.

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🧠 AI-Powered Backend Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/analyze	POST	Accepts an image or text, returns item info, value estimate, and CO₂ savings

Example response:

{
  "item": "Vintage Lamp",
  "value": 25.00,
  "ecoImpact": "3.1 kg CO₂ saved",
  "confidence": "high"
}

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💡 Core Features

Feature	Description
📸 AI-Powered Scanning	Upload or describe an item — Gemini identifies it, estimates resale value, and calculates CO₂ savings.
🔐 Secure Auth0 Login	Fast, passwordless authentication with social login.
💰 Resale Estimator	AI-based valuation for second-hand items.
🌿 Eco Impact Tracker	Visualize your total CO₂ saved and items repurposed.
🧾 History Dashboard	Access all scanned items anytime.
🎨 Responsive Design	Built with React Native Paper + Material Design.

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🧩 Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
Expo can’t reach backend	Use ngrok URL instead of localhost
403 “Invalid token”	Ensure JWT secret and BASE_URL match
Image upload fails	Don’t manually set Content-Type for multipart/form-data

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💚 Inspiration

Every year, millions of reusable items end up in landfills simply because people don't know their value. Clutter2Cash fixes that with AI, users can sell smarter, waste less, and live greener.