Most of us strive to use less energy, consume fewer unnecessary products, reduce our contribution to pollution, and take care of our natural ecosystems. But it isn’t always easy. So, it’s nice to know that with the right mobile apps, you can get recommendations, track your habits, acquire new information, or even develop new behaviors that help you live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Here are some of the great apps available that can guide you towards a greener, more environmentally friendly life.earth911
1. iRecycle
Let’s start with iRecycle, the mobile app from Earth911 that help you pinpoint the nearest available recycling options for specific items. We cover recycling for more than 350 materials and can lead you to more than 1,600,000 ways to recycle.
Enter your current location, ZIP code, address, or city, and we’ll generate a list of the available recycling facilities nearby for each material you need to recycle — along with information like the company’s website, phone number, hours of operation, and of course, directions. Currently, this is available only in the United States and parts of Mexico and Canada.
2. Olio
Buying new products puts a burden on the environment. In addition to the resources required to manufacture new items, we also have to consider the resources spent (and carbon created) by transporting new products to the store where we shop. But with the Olio app, you’ll be able to share and borrow items with other people in your community, reducing the number of new consumer purchases. Share things like food, cleaning products, tools, and more.
3. Oroeco
The Oroeco app is designed to help individuals better understand the impact they have on climate change. With Oroeco, you’ll be able to estimate your carbon footprint based on your lifestyle and evaluate your overall climate impact. From there, you can analyze all your daily habits, from traveling to eating, and make use of actionable tips from the app to make improvements.
4. Waterprint
As its name suggests, Waterprint allows you to track your “water footprint,” or the amount of water you use on a regular basis. We often don’t think about the indirect amount of water we consume; for example, do you know how much water it took to create a new shirt? Using this app will help you understand the impact of your habits and the things you buy and can help you reduce your water consumption over time.
5. Too Good To Go
If you’re in Europe, consider using Too Good to Go. It’s a service that currently connects more than 22 million people with leftover food items from businesses like restaurants, supermarkets, and cafes. By connecting people with food that would otherwise get thrown out, this app saves more than 100,000 meals every day, drastically reducing food waste.
6. GreenChoice
Are you aware of how much your food affects climate change? With GreenChoice, you won’t have to blindly speculate. GreenChoice allows you to set your shopping values, dietary preferences, and other parameters to get recommendations for green, environmentally friendly choices. You can compare different food products across different grocery stores (as well as online), and even build and manage your shopping lists for convenience.
7. PaperKarma
How much junk mail does your home receive per day? Chances are that all this paper ends up as waste. But with PaperKarma, you can put a stop to it. Use the app to take a photo of whatever junk mail you no longer want to receive and take yourself off the company’s mailing list permanently.
8. Tap
Plastic pollution is a major environmental problem, and it’s partially fueled by the persistent use of disposable plastic water bottles. You can reduce plastic waste by carrying a water bottle with you, and Tap can help you find refill stations on the go — no matter where you are.
9. HappyCow
Going vegetarian or vegan isn’t for everyone, but you should know that it can make a positive environmental impact. In fact, cutting out meat and dairy products from your daily diet could reduce your carbon footprint by 73%. If you decide to make this lifestyle change, you can use HappyCow to make it easier. The app helps you find vegan- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants all over the world.
10. Ecosia
This is a Chrome extension, not a mobile app, per se, but it’s still worth using. Ecosia is a search engine with one key difference from the search engines you’re used to; it uses the proceeds from advertisements to plant new trees. You can even review their monthly financial reports to make sure you know where the money is going.
Making Changes to Your Lifestyle
Just downloading an app isn’t going to reverse pollution or counteract your carbon footprint. But these and other green apps can be handy tools to help you make eco-friendly changes for a more sustainable lifestyle.
The post 10 Green Apps To Help You Live More Sustainably appeared first on Earth 911.
