Does the world need another app? There are some icons which justify their rent-free space on your phone. And those belong to environmental and sustainability apps.
Individual action is needed to curb global warming and if an app can legitimately help reduce your carbon footprint, then we’re all for it.
This is good news, especially since (if you’re like the average person) at least one-third of our waking hours are spent on a mobile phone.
Instead of spending those 4 hours and 48 minutes of every day scrolling your socials, you can put some of that screen time to better use.
Sustainable living apps cover all kinds of e-ground, from helping you find sustainable brands to minimizing food waste.
Get that thumb of yours ready and let’s scroll through…
Index: Environmental Apps
- Shop Ethical Jump to section
- One Small Step Jump to section
- Aworld In Support Of Actnow (By The UN) Jump to section
- Think Dirty Jump to section
- Good On You Jump to section
- Thredup Jump to section
- Fair Food Forager Jump to section
- Olio Jump to section
- Too Good To Go Jump to section
Shop Ethical
Shop Ethical! is barcode scanner that can be used while shopping
Providing you with a low-down on the social and environmental record of 5,000+ top consumer brands, it’s one of the top sustainability apps for making informed purchases.
With the tap of a button (or search for a brand’s name) the app will “investigate” some of the biggest names in clothing, appliances, electronics, food & drink, office supplies, household goods, and much more.
The straightforward interface provides a rating of each company based on metrics like: greenwashing, animal testing, factory farming, genetic engineering, and conflict minerals mining.
One Small Step
Described by one reviewer as “ Duolingo for the planet”, One Small Step is equipped with tailored programs and behavioural science features to help you cut your carbon footprint.
As one of the best apps for curbing your carbon footprint (see their many awards), the free app can be considered your personal sustainability coach.
It starts by assessing your carbon footprint and comparing it to the average citizen in your location. Then, you’ll get a personalized roadmap to help you reduce your carbon emissions to meet the UN’s suggested goal of 2 tons per year.
To do so, the app will track your habits, suggest ethical and sustainable alternatives, and provide sustainability education through step-by-step courses.
Aworld In Support Of Actnow (By The UN)
In support of the United Nations’ ActNow campaign—a global call for individual climate action—the AWorld in Support of ActNow app can help you move towards your own net zero future.
Created by a Certified B Corp, the sustainable living app provides daily tips to help you reduce your impact.
You can track your habits and activities and see detailed metrics of CO2, water, waste, and energy impacts.
It also features community challenges, serves as a platform for educational storytelling, and helps you discover nearby events and cleanups.
Think Dirty
Think Dirty wants us all to think a little more about the toxins we’re bringing into our homes.
Not only do they serve as a platform for making purchases from ethical and sustainable beauty brands, but they also have an app that allows you to scan products, spot dirty ingredients, and find suggestions for cleaner options.
Their ratings are based on strong and conclusive evidence that ingredients have long-term health impacts, or are proven not to be harmful.
If a product can’t be found by scanning, instead explore their ingredient database (a premium feature) to find out how safe a product is (or not).
Good On You
One of only a few apps that promote sustainability in the fashion world, Good On You catalogs more than 3,000 brands and rates them in order to find the most ethical names in sustainable and ethical fashion.
You can easily sort through which brands to avoid as well as those rated ‘Great’.
The ratings are based on the brand’s impact on people, the planet, and animals, featuring a complete explanation behind its score in each of these areas.
New brands are added every month and for all of those with poor ratings, better alternatives are suggested.
Thredup
How cool is it that we live in a time where we can do all of our online thrift store shopping directly from our smartphones?
Thanks to thredUP, we can refresh our wardrobes (sustainably) while on the go.
The cell phone sustainability app boasts high-quality secondhand clothes from the world’s top brands—all at up to 90% off.
It can be used to buy and sell women’s and kids’ clothes and you can shop by brand or item, or just simply browse.
Not only can you buy second hand duds, but thredUP is also one of the most effortless ways to sell used clothes online.
Fair Food Forager
One of the best sustainability apps Australia has for foodies, Fair Food Forager is a pocket-sized guide to sustainable food.
This app helps eaters find the best of the best in terms of:
- Indigenous foods
- BYO container options/reduced plastics
- Sustainable restaurants
- Clean eating
- Sustainable seafood
- Fair work/fair trade/ethically produced
- Local produce
- Vegetarian options or cruelty free/vegan foods
- Reduced food waste
- House-made products
- Chemical-free/organic food.
The app can be used to search for local foods, check in at a food venue, and rate your experience.
While predominantly Australia-based, there are some options for international foodies. Plus, they always take suggestions for new venues.
Olio
As one of the best sustainability related apps for UK and Spain residents, OLIO embodies the notion of a communal, circular economy by helping you connect with soon-to-be-wasted food.
They’re on a mission to rescue and redistribute more than 200 meals by allowing retailers, restaurants, and individuals to list their excess food and other household items so that their neighbors can make use of them—for free!
The process is simple; Snap a photo of your food, set a pickup location, and share it with those local to you.
Or you can browse listings and request to pick up food/items at a designated place and time.
Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go is a Certified B Corp and helps us save food to save the planet by connecting users with excess food from shops, manufacturers, hotels, restaurants, and cafes.
So far, more than 100 million people are using the free app and 350+ million meals have been saved.
Both consumers and businesses can participate.
Final Thoughts On Sustainability Apps
While we often think of sustainable technology as devices, but the software on them shouldn’t be forgotten.
These eco friendly and sustainable apps make it easier than ever to: understand how our actions have an impact, reduce our carbon footprint, and connect with others doing the same.
If we’re spending a significant portion of our lives staring at pixels on a screen, it’s much better if we’re doing it for a good cause, right?
For an even more plant-friendly way to peruse the digital world, be sure to know how to dispose of electronics after that black screen of death appears.
If you’re going to recommend an app to a fellow app junkie, consider sharing these green sustainability apps(or an eco friendly search engine) so they too can put some of that screen time to better use.
Heather earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from the The Ohio State University before completing a Masters in Environment at The University of Melbourne. She then went on to achieve a Permaculture Design Certificate at the Djanbung Gardens. Heather feels best when she is barefoot in a forest or has dirt under her fingernails. She’s constantly daydreaming about her homesteading future and has a rapidly-growing list of the best local (and not-so-local) hiking trails. When she’s not busy hoarding an embarrassing number of upcycled glass jars, experimenting with urban composting, or quelling her eco-anxiety on a long run, Heather spends her 9-5 working for a sustainable agriculture nonprofit, where she advocates for state and federal policies that support thriving farmers and a habitable future.
