Living a sustainable life can seem daunting. Where do you start? Where do you shop? What do you eat? How much of your life do you need to change? Information is power and it’s easy when it’s right at your fingertips. But searching through Google results can feel overwhelming and confusing. So thankfully there’s an App for everything!
Here’s a brief run down on some of our favorite Apps helping us lead a sustainable life, from a range of different perspectives. Stay tuned for our next instalment (there are too many good ones to cover in one read!), and feel free to comment below if you’ve got a good suggestion too!
Happy Cow allows you to find the nearest vegan or veggie friendly restaurant. It’s like Yelp but tailored to allow you to make the best choice for your health and the health of the planet. If you aren’t in the mood to go out, it has a section for vegan and vegetarian recipes! Whether this diet is your usual choice, or you’re making a conscious effort to consume slightly less meat for the wellbeing of the planet, this App is a sure fire win. It even offers a location service to provide the best results wherever you are in the world. While the App isn’t free, it’s relatively low cost – or you can use their website for free to achieve the same things.
SeafoodWatch is older than Apps. This handy guide to sustainable seafood started out as a pocket guide from Monterey Bay Aquarium. The guide helps you make informed choices about seafood and sushi, with an easy to interpret traffic light system so you can readily choose options that “protect sea life and habitats, now and for future generations”. You can search different types of fish and learn if it’s domestic or imported; farmed or wild; and ranks it based on those factors and more. If you’re more curious you can read in depth about each type of fish; how those rankings are awarded; and even what protections exist for certain types of fish. This App is free to download and use.
Choosing sustainable clothes can be tricky and time consuming. We recently highlighted a few of the top sustainable brands and why you should choose them. But if you’re looking for something specific, “Good On You” is there for you. You can search by brand or by the category of clothing (or even accessory) you’re looking for. This App ranks brands based on several factors: how it impacts people (human labor), how it impacts the planet (carbon emissions and chemicals), and how it impacts animals (leather goods, feathers, fur, etc). They also provide great articles to read on all things fashion, and discount coupons for some of the brands they feature. This free App is fantastic when you need new wardrobe pieces with a social conscience.
Need incentives? Like beating your mates in a challenge? This App gamifies sustainability. JouleBug offers points based on your good deeds. Things like bringing a reusable coffee cup to the cafe or a reusable bag to the grocery store can earn you points. If you like competition you can join both local and national sustainability challenges and compete against your friends and family. You can win badges and medals, and use those awards to encourage each other to go one better…maybe a little healthy competition is the key to a healthy planet? If you link the App to your utilities you can even see how much you save! There are also ways of involving your whole company, big or small, for internal competitions, and it’s all free.
(Well, the list wouldn’t be complete without a quick reminder of how we can work together with you too!)
Greenhouse gas emissions are the major driver behind climate change. We can all make changes to ease how much we contribute to those emissions. How much your daily actions contribute is called a carbon footprint and right now you can calculate it using our App. This is completely free to download and use, and it will even help guide you through many of life’s tough choices, like being at the grocery store deciding which shampoo to buy. Scan the barcode and we can tell you the carbon footprint for its whole life cycle! You can compare it with other similar products and make the most sustainable choice. Curious about how much carbon your cab ride is putting into the atmosphere? Our App can tell you. We can help you keep track of and manage your carbon footprint from all your travels, purchases and even the output from your home. It’s all aimed at helping you make smarter choices for the planet. And you won’t be alone in your journey – you can connect with family and friends anywhere in the world and even with people in your locale to compete and see who can be the most green, winning badges of honor.
With our phones or other mobile devices just being an extension of our arm these days, there comes the ability to be more informed and better equipped than ever. As well as posting the perfect gram shot with your bae, you can use your cell to help keep you moving towards sustainability.
