Eco-Friendly Apps to Help You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Go Green

Adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle benefits more than just your personal life--it benefits the world around you and generations to come. Going green can help to reduce pollution and environmental impact, which ultimately helps to guarantee a safer environment for future generations, preserves natural resources, and protects wildlife habitats. Sustainability can be easy with the help of technology. By downloading the following apps that bring consumers one step closer to accomplishing their goal of pursuing a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

• BrightNest: BrightNest is a free mobile app available for both Android and iOS. The goal of the app is to assist its users in creating customizable home maintenance tips. Users can create a personalized schedule, program reminders, and learn unique storage ideas that complement their home’s aesthetic. Those who download the app will begin by completing a home quiz that assesses what their needs are and tasks they need to help achieve these goals. They will get reminders sent to them when a task is due for completion. The app also features articles that discuss a variety of topics — from ways to organize your home that will save you cash, green cleaning products, and much more.
  • BrightNest for Android.
  • BrightNest for iOS.
• Con Edison Ways to Save: The Con Edison app is available for both iOS and Android. The app allows its users to securely pay their electric bill, report outages, review current and past bills, and get insights on their energy usage in a paperless way. The app is free for those who create an account and register with Con Edison.
• EcoCharge: EcoCharge is only available to download on Android devices. The purpose of this app is to be a resource for users who want to be in more control of their mobile device’s battery life span. Popular features of the app include multi-control charging levels, alert when your battery is too hot, on/off switch for sound notifications, and on/off switch for vibration notifications. This app is free to download.
• EWG’s Food Scores: EWG Food Scores app, also known as Eat Well Guide app, is a free app available for both Android and iOS users. The goal of the app is to help people find sustainable and locally grown food in their area. It’ll include a list of local farmer’s markets, restaurants, stores, farms, and CSAs that fall under the sustainability category that they deem valuable enough to include on their app. They then score different foods based on their nutritional makeup, ingredient concerns, and degree of processing. Even though the app is free to download, they do accept donations to help maintain their food score databases and continue their research on pesticides and harmful chemicals often found in foods. Incentives for donating include a downloadable PDF cookbook when you donate $10 or more.
• Fridgely: Intended for iOS only, the Fridgely app is made to help users keep better track of the amount of food they waste. Users can also virtually organize their fridge and pantry and scan each item that they have in their real food storage unit, and place it in their virtual one. The app will also notify the user when they have food getting ready to expire. This helps reduce the amount of food that is wasted at home. Aside from expiration notifications and organization tips, you can also get recipes using the food that you already have. The app is free to download.
• Joulebug: Joulebug is a game-style application that can be downloaded on both Android and iOS to engage users in making their everyday habits more sustainable. This free app offers different sustainability challenges, achievements, story sharing opportunities, and tracking tools. It allows its users to compete with one another on different social media platforms for achievement points. There is a Joulebug Enterprise option that allows you to customize your own challenges to fit your organization’s needs.
• Waterprint: Available on the iPhone App Store, the Waterprint app is used to help individuals be more aware of the waterprint they leave behind. Similar to a carbon footprint, the waterprint that is left behind by overuse of water can hurt the ecosystem. This app will give the users tools to calculate how much water they are using in their daily activities, and provide them with tips on how to reduce this number. It also has information on how much water different foods, household tasks, beverages, and products use to create.

There are many apps, such as the ones listed below, that can help consumers avoid supporting unsustainable business practices.

• Fat Llama: Fat Llama, available for both iOS and Android, is an app that allows consumers to rent/borrow essentially anything from those within their community. The app is free to download, however, users can actually make money by renting out their belongings on Fat Llama.
• Freecycle: Freecycle is a nonprofit organization that created an app to help those who want to give (and get) items for free. They take items that are still in good/gently used condition and post them in prospecting groups within the community. From there, an individual may choose to pick up the item for free, or even post an item themselves. It is free to download the app and is available for iOS and Android. People may choose to donate to Freecycle, if they choose, to help with administration costs and coding expenses — however, it is not required.
• Good on You: Good On You is a free mobile application, available for iOS and Android, was created to help consumers find trustworthy, sustainable brands to shop from. Users can check brand ratings and customer reviews, as well as get coupons from sustainable fashion brands worldwide.
• GreenChoice: GreenChoice is a free app created to assist users in quickly accessing information about the best, fresh, nutrition-filled food products. It also helps design a grocery list that best fits within their budget and finds foods that meet any dietary restrictions. This app is available to download for iOS and Android users.
• HowGood: Downloading the free HowGood app, whether you have an iOS or an Android, will help users find personal care and food products that meet specific sustainability standards. They do extensive research and provide information on over 1,000,000 million products. Even though the app is free for consumers, the HowGood company still welcomes investors who believe in their mission and retailers who are wanting to build a more sustainable strategy.
• NatureHub: Available for both iOS and Android, the free-to-download NatureHub app is a platform used to help people locate different eco-friendly and sustainable businesses in their area.
• Seafood Watch: The Seafood Watch app is available for iOS and Android users and is free to download. The app includes features on how to find sustainable seafood in local areas, locate different sustainable seafood markets, find stores and restaurants that sell ocean-friendly seafood, and access extensive information on what ocean-friendly/sustainable seafood is.
• Thredup: Thredup is a very popular second-hand clothing website/mobile app that allows users to sell and buy gently-used clothing, shoes, and accessories. The app is free to download and is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
• Too Good To Go: Too Good To Go was created to help reduce the amount of food waste in the world. The app’s main goal is to connect consumers with unsold meals from different stores and restaurants in 15 different countries, instead of throwing it away. The app is free to download, however, it isn’t available worldwide, so users will want to make sure the app is available in their country prior to downloading it.

Recycling reduces waste and conserves natural resources. While most items are recyclable (most plastics, glass, boxes, and even old smartphones), there are still a few (like batteries, plastic bags, and some clothing) that end up in landfills. It can be hectic trying to remember what can and cannot be recycled; luckily there are mobile apps that can help with that.

• Litterati: Litterati can be found in iOS and Android stores and is free for both users. The app was created to encourage people to recycle by turning it into a fun, friendly challenge. Users find a recyclable item, take a picture of it, place a geo-tag on it, and inspire others in their area to do the same. Litterati relies on these geo-tags to accurately measure pollution in different areas.
• myWaste: myWaste is available for iOS and Android, and is free for everyone who is a part of the WasteCare group. The app has a dashboard, invoices and statements, job data tools, and more that helps businesses remain compliant with the latest sustainable regulations, all while reducing recycling costs.
• Olio: Features of Olio include the ability to connect with people in your neighborhood and local shops to share food items with one another, instead of throwing them away. It’s simple to use and is available for those with either iOS or Android, and is completely free.
• PaperKarma: PaperKarma gives customers the ability to opt-out of receiving junk mail like catalogs, credit card offers, local mailers, and more. The app is available for iOS and Android and offers a free trial for those who are interested. However after the trial ends, customers will need to pay a fee of $1.99 a month, $10.99 for six months, or $19.99 for a year.
• RecycleNation: Available for iOS only, the RecycleNation app is used to help customers find recycling locations nearest them. The app is free to download, and offers recycling tips, the ability to track your environmental impact, and much more.
• Recyclebank: With RecycleBank, members who live in a city partnered with the company can earn points by recycling. They can then convert these points into local deals, donations, or exclusive savings.
• iRecycle: iRecycle is free to download on iOS and Android devices and is used by customers to better understand what is recyclable and what type of bin to dispose it in. It also provides information on how to recycle, why you should do it, new innovative products and services, and how to reduce waste in your home.
  • iRecycle for Android
  • iRecycle for iOS

Implementing eco-friendly methods into everyday life goes beyond finding ways to shop sustainably. In fact, it’s just as important to implement eco-friendly travel methods when planning a trip, as it is to find ways to go green in your home and while going shopping. Traveling, more specifically long-distance travel, can make a huge impact on the environment via emission of excess levels of CO2 into the atmosphere. The following apps can help users make smarter decisions when planning a trip, as well as during their travels.

• Bikemap: Available for iOS and Android, this Bikemap app assists users with turn-by-turn voice-guided directions while on their bicycles. The app is free to download. Features of Bikemap include cycling routes, offline data navigation, thousands of cycling points of interest (bike repair, bathrooms, ATMs, etc.), optimized routes based on bike type, and much more.
• Ecosia: The Ecosia app is completely free and is compatible with iOS and Android devices. It is a search engine that uses the revenue generated by search ads that pop up with each inquiry to plant new trees in places around the world where trees are needed most.
• GreenMeter: For $5.99, users can download the GreenMeter app on their iOS or Android device. This app helps to calculate the user’s vehicle power and fuel usage and evaluates their driving method to come up with ways to reduce the amount of fuel and power that is used.
  • GreenMeter for Android
  • GreenMeter for iOS
• Hopper: The Hopper app is a useful tool that can be downloaded for free on both iOS and Android devices to help people book flights and hotels at the best prices. The app monitors prices and alerts the user of the best deal, saving them money when possible.
• offCents: offCents customers can download the app on their iOS or Android devices for free. The purpose of this app is to provide real-time data collected from automated carbon emission tracking systems. Users can choose to offset their carbon footprint from any mode of transportation (plane, train, car, bus, etc.). Proceeds are made from these offsets and are then put towards purchasing more carbon offsets or Voluntary Emission Reductions (VERDs).
• TripZero: TripZero is a free app that allows users to book their trip in a way that can help to protect our environment. When users book with TripZero, the company offsets the carbon footprint created by their trip at no cost to the user, and uses the proceeds to fund reforestation and renewable energy projects. This app can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices.
• Waze carpool: Waze Carpool brings together individuals who need a ride to a location in the same direction by carpooling together. The app is free to download, but users split the cost of the tolls based on the distance each individual is traveling. The app, available for iOS and Android, also provides the user with traffic reports, live maps, and more.
• Zero Carbon: Available to download on iOS devices only, the Pakastani Zero Carbon app informs users of the process of importing and exporting energy, amount of reduced carbon emissions, current and future weather details, and much more.

The apps listed below provide further insight into how pollution and poor consumer habits contribute to climate change. Poor consumer habits have many negative effects on the environment, which is why it is important to be aware of them and educate the public on how to change them.

• Forest: The Forest app puts a unique twist on motivating people to stay focused — whether it’s at work, school, home, etc. The motivating factor is the longer they stay focused and leave the Forest app up, the more virtual trees they grow. If the app is closed before it should be, the tree dies. The unique part is that when the users spend virtual coins to help plant these trees, the Forest team donates to their partners to plant trees in real life.
• Give O2: Available for free for both iOS and Android, the GiveO2 app will automatically tell users what type of transportation they are using and how frequently they travel. These stats are then compiled to show the user what type of impact they are making on the environment, and what they can do to reduce it. Users can earn points and rewards and share their experiences with other members.
• MathTappers: Carbon Choices: The MathTappers: Carbon Choices app is only in the app store for Apple products (iPhone, iPad, etc.) and is free to download. The purpose of the app is to help middle school students become more aware of the CO2 pollution being emitted because of some of their lifestyle choices by turning them into different math equations. This sharpens their knowledge of math and the importance of sustainability at the same time.
• Oroeco: Oroeco is a free app available for Android devices. Users can download this app to help them track their carbon footprint and earn rewards while doing so. Users can also win cash prizes by inviting their friends and family to download the app as well.
• Skeptical Science: The Skeptical Science app is a great resource to have to help explain misinformation regarding global warming and climate change. They provide users with articles, graphics, common skeptical claims, and more. Users can download it for free to their iOS or Android devices.