There are quite a few apps out there that help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint through planting trees, using alternative modes of transportation, and more. But did you know there's more you can do to help the environment than biking to work and planting trees?Living more sustainably doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing feat. You don't have to give up all plastic, swear not to waste any food, and change your diet completely. There are many small ways you can be kind to the environment, and all of these unique apps will help you along your sustainability journey!
1. Empty My Fridge
If you have food that's always going to waste before you can use it, Empty My Fridge is the perfect app for you. We all have busy lives, and sometimes you honestly forget what's in your fridge until it's too late. Empty My Fridge helps you know exactly what's in there and how long it's been there without even having to open your fridge.
The app automatically separates your fridge into vegetables, fruits, dairy & alternatives, and other sections. Then, there's also a tab to keep track of what's in your pantry and your freezer. Keeping track of this while you're at work or the grocery store is super helpful for planning meals and eliminating food waste.
Download: Empty My Fridge for Android | iOS (Free)
2. Think Dirty
One unique way to be more sustainable is by supporting brands that put more effort and focus on sustainable ingredients and packaging. Think Dirty lets you browse a plethora of beauty brands and products to find one that fits your ideals and needs.
Every product in the Think Dirty app can be reviewed and has a clear list of ingredients (and how "clean" they are) as well as certifiers attached to the product. If you're in the store with a product in hand, you can scan the barcode to see if it's logged in the app and view all details.
Download: Think Dirty for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. My Little Plastic Footprint
I'm sure you've heard of the term BMI or body mass index, but have you ever heard of PMI? The My Little Plastic Footprint app gives you a PMI, or plastic mass index score, and compares it to the average PMI score of your country. As you might expect, your score is determined by the amount of plastic you currently use.
The app shows you different ways you can reduce your plastic consumption. Your plastic diet is split up into six main categories: bathroom, kitchen, leisure, on the go, garden, and house. Selecting a category displays all the products you could swap out for a plastic-free option.
You can add as many plastic-free swaps as you want to your plastic "diet" and work on completing them at your own pace. Then, there are also nifty quizzes that test your knowledge and teach you all the unique ways plastic can go undercover in so many products.
Download: My Little Plastic Footprint for Android | iOS (Free)
4. Paperkarma
How much junk mail do you get that you don't even think twice before throwing them away? Whether it's credit card offers, coupons, or bulky grocery store advertisements, we all get mail that we never signed up for and don't want. As you can probably imagine, that's a lot of wasted paper. That's where Paperkarma is trying to help.
You can use Paperkarma to scan a piece of mail, record the company it's from, and hopefully stop that mail from being sent to you in the future. The app allows you to submit four requests for free; if you want more than that, you'll have to subscribe to a premium plan. After each request, it can take about six to twelve weeks for you to stop receiving mail from that sender.
Download: Paperkarma for Android | iOS (Free, premium subscription available)
5. Ailuna
There's no better way for completionists to be more sustainable than through the Ailuna app. This app is full of sustainability dares, like turning your heat down, switching the lights off, eating less meat, not buying anything new, and more.
And the best part? You're not doing it alone. You can see how many other people are currently working on it and talk through challenges in the community tab for each dare. Then, when you open a dare, you can also see the impact it has had on the world based on the number of people who have done the dare or are still in a working stage of it.
Download: Ailuna for Android | iOS (Free)
6. Olio
There are a few different ways you can use the Olio app to help reduce food waste. First, there are a ton of products listed on the home page that you can sort through based on the titles—Free, Borrow, Made, or Wanted. You can list products or snag listed products from other people.
If you have something in your fridge that will go bad before you have a chance to use it, you can list it for free, and someone who can use it will come to pick it up. This helps out your community and helps reduce food waste at the same time.
The Olio app also has goals that help you work toward a more sustainable life. Some of them include making your own oat milk, switching to a bamboo toothbrush, trying out a climatarian diet, and more. When you complete goals, you earn karma points that don't really do anything for you except remind you of all the good you're doing.
Download: Olio for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
7. Good On You
The Good On You app helps you sort through all of the biggest brands in fashion to find out which ones are ethical and sustainable. On the home screen, you can read through a ton of blog posts on ethical fashion choices and learn more about the fashion industry. Then, you can search through the slew of brands housed in the app to see how they rank in terms of sustainability.
Good On You explains how it ranks brands, which also helps you know what to look for if or when you do your research. If you click on a brand that's popular but not so great for the environment, you'll see recommendations for other brands that are just as awesome and have a high sustainability ranking.
Download: Good On You for Android | iOS (Free)
8. ThredUp
Another way you can help out the environment is by not purchasing new clothes. You can always check out your local thrift shop to find trendy clothes for cheap, or you can download ThredUp.
The app lets you sort through clothes easily so you can find exactly what you're looking for without ever having to leave your couch. You can see where the item will be coming from and sometimes even use coupons to bring down your total price even more.
Buying used clothing may seem strange at first, but the clothes are often still in tiptop shape. Plus, you're likely scoring a unique item that not a lot of other people will currently be wearing.
Download: ThredUp for Android | iOS (Free)
One Change Makes a World of Difference
Living more sustainably sounds like a monumental task, but it doesn't have to be. Even making one small change, like participating in meat-free Monday or buying a reusable metal water bottle, can help the environment.
And luckily, we live in a modern world where the internet is at our fingertips all the time. You can learn more about the environment and sustainability through apps, of course, but also through dedicated YouTube channels and blogs. Remember that a little goes a long way.