With a touch of a finger, we can all be on our way to living a more eco-conscious life! A world of sustainable lifestyle resources are in our smartphones, but with so many apps — it can be hard to know where to look.
From apps that get rid of junk mail to apps that plant trees, here are 10 apps that help us live greener — one tap at a time!
Our fave 9 eco-friendly apps
Joule Bug
Show off your reusable tote with pride on the Joule Bug app! It’s a social app full of games for competing in eco-friendly challenges and you get rewards for doing good (aka walking to work instead of driving or bringing a reusable mug — like our Live Gently Upon This Earth mug!).
Added bonus: you can sync the app with your utility bills and track how much money you’re saving by being more eco-conscious. Win, win.
Tap
Ever buy a plastic water bottle because you can’t find a place to fill up your reusable one? Tap is here to make sure that never happens again. It’s an app that helps you find nearby refilling stations, so you can stay hydrated without the waste (and the price tag).
Think Dirty
If you’re curious to know what’s in your beauty, personal care, and household products, Think Dirty is for you. Just scan the product barcode and the app provides jargon-free, understandable information on the product and its ingredients. And if your product isn’t ideal, the app gives ideas for cleaner alternatives.
ThredUp
ThredUP is essentially like visiting a thrift shop from your screen without sifting through piles of clothes. You can also sell clothes through the app or donate your old apparel and ThredUp will give $5 to a charity of your choice. Minimize your life, check. Do good, check.
#Climate
#Climate is a way to connect with like-minded, eco-conscious humans. You create a profile based on your passions and interests, such as animal-welfare and transportation, and you can contribute to conversations on different campaigns. By linking the app to your social networks, #Climate makes it easy to share causes you care about with your friends and family.
BikeMap
Grab your helmet and put down those car keys. BikeMap has more than four million bike path routes in dozens of different countries. By opting for a bike instead of a car, you’ll reduce carbon emissions and get your cardio in for the day. Plus, the app has voice navigation built-in, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.
Paperless Post
You don’t have to use a ton of paper to send cute invitations. Paperless Post makes it easy to design cards, browse ideas, and track RSVPS without using a shred of paper. Not to mention, it saves time on buying stamps and hand-writing addresses.
PaperKarma
Sick of junk mail showing up without an invitation? Same. PaperKarma is here to save the day! Just take a pic of your unwanted mail, hit the “unsubscribe” button, and the app takes care of the rest. Easy as that.
You’ll relieve landfills of unnecessary waste and save yourself energy by not feeling frustrated at your mailbox meets trash can.
Forest
Go screen-free and plant a tree with the Forest app. This app is ideal for times when you need to focus on something that doesn’t involve your phone — whether that’s a work project or a conversation with friends.
You’ll just specify how long you need to focus and the countdown timer will mute notifications until your time is up. And if you ditch the app to check Instagram or take a picture of your latte, your plant will stop growing and wilt. Sad!
The best part: the app plants REAL trees through the nonprofit organization Trees for the Future. They’ve planted more than 500,000 trees, so far.
Want to discover more gems of apps? Check out these posts!
