ZELOW: Zero Leftovers Waste App
A mobile application that helps reduce food waste by connecting UMKM with consumers through discounted surplus food, flash sales, and surprise boxes.
Understanding the Context
Overview
The Problem
Food waste contributes more than 50% of total waste in Malang, while many UMKM culinary businesses suffer losses due to unsold surplus food and lack of efficient digital distribution channels.
The Purpose
Zelow aims to reduce food waste by transforming surplus food into economic opportunities through a mobile platform that connects UMKM and consumers with affordable, quality food options.
My Contributions
Responsibilities
Led the continuation of an unfinished mobile application project from a previous team
Acted as technical leader in a programmer only team while maintaining active coding responsibilities
Understood and restructured existing application flow, architecture, and codebase
Implemented and refined core mobile features using Flutter
Collaborated with team members to align technical execution with product goals
Bridged product level decision making and technical implementation
Technologies Used
Tech Stack
📱 Frontend
⚙️ Backend
🛠️ Tools
Core Functionality
Features
Flash Sale Surplus Food
Allows UMKM to sell surplus food at discounted prices before it becomes waste.
Surprise Box
Mystery food packages offered at lower prices to reduce food stigma and increase sales efficiency.
Nearby UMKM Discovery
Location based feature to help users find nearby UMKM offering discounted surplus food.
Rating & Review System
Builds trust and transparency by allowing users to review UMKM and food quality.
Chat with Seller
Enables direct communication between consumers and UMKM for pickup coordination.
Visual Design
UI Showcase
Interface design and user experience highlights
Onboarding screens introducing the platform and its food waste reduction concept.
Technical Journey
Challenges
Using Flutter for the first time while working on a real project.
Gained hands on experience with Flutter fundamentals, widget composition, and cross-platform mobile development.
Continuing a partially completed project without prior documentation from the previous team.
Learned to reverse engineer application flow, analyze existing codebases, and make architectural decisions independently.
Leading a team consisting entirely of programmers without a dedicated product role.
Developed leadership skills by balancing technical execution with product level decision making and team coordination.
Results & Achievements
Impact
Measurable outcomes and project success metrics
Contributed to reducing food waste in Malang through digital surplus food distribution
Empowered UMKM to minimize losses from unsold food inventory
Delivered a functional mobile application concept ready for further development
Next Steps
Future Plans
Add food delivery integration to expand accessibility beyond pickup-only orders
Implement donation features for surplus food redistribution to communities in need
Introduce smart recommendation systems based on user preferences and purchase history
Enhance real time stock updates for better food availability accuracy
Strengthen security and data protection for transactions and user information