Custom Web / Mobile Application
The Challenge
The City of Guelph has a mandate to modernize city services and to provide a positive citizen experience. Identifying the need to provide clearer and easier-to-access waste schedules, Open Guelph purchased a hackathon application for the city’s Solid Waste Resources department. A driving requirement in the application design was to reduce the number of citizens who placed their waste on incorrect days. During the product’s design, however, Solid Waste Resources realized that the application did not fully meet their initial requirements.
Our Solution
MERAK partnered with Solid Waste Resources to discuss the hackathon application’s importance, its intended purpose, and the features that were currently missing. We then created and efficiently implemented an updated list of requirements and demonstrated the new solution. Incorporating Solid Waste Resources’ feedback, we finalized the application to its current state.
The waste reminder application now allows Guelph citizens to search for their address, view and print their waste collection schedule, as well as sign up for email, text, and phone call notifications. Citizens can receive automated “waste day” reminders, special events notices, and any changes to their waste schedule. Administrative staff are also able to send and schedule push notifications.
Last Updated: June 25, 2025