Apps caring for the environment in a digital world

We bring you 10 applications to care for the environment and make the planet a more sustainable place.

Environmental awareness among the population is on the up. More and more of us are joining forces in an effort to live sustainably. Whether that’s saving water or energy, recycling waste, choosing renewable energy, or moving around without generating emissions. Thankfully, technology is traveling in the same direction - we can now count upon many applications to improve our daily effort caring for the environment.

What you’ll find in this article:

Living sustainably

People on Earth produce an average of nearly four tonnes of CO2 a year. That’s the carbon footprint each person leaves on the planet. A trail that adds greenhouse gases to the atmosphere every year and causes worsening climate change.

The Planet App is a new tool to help you lead a lifestyle that cares better for Earth, with daily practical tips on how you can reduce that carbon footprint. Record your daily successes and win points that allow you to pass to the next level on Your Path to Sustainability.

Download the app and in minutes you’ll get to know your CO2 footprint as a function of your lifestyle. Choose sustainable living habits to which you want to commit yourself every week, and learn every day new tips and tricks that will help you realise your goals.

Sustainability lessons for little ones

The children of today will soon be the adults of tomorrow, taking their turn to tackle the most important environmental challenges of the time, among which will undoubtedly be the effects of climate change.

It’s therefore essential that we give them tools to raise their awareness of the importance of caring for the planet.

This is the idea behind Greta – The Game, built around the young climate activist, Greta Thunberg. This app for conserving the environment teaches children about the importance of protecting nature. The player must sow seeds and, as these grow, so does their World Hope score.

Sustainable electric mobility

Transport is one of the sectors emitting the most greenhouse gases, and it is vital we reduce these in order to halt climate change. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the transport sector is in fact responsible for 24% of direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through the burning of fossil fuels.

Luckily, moving about the city sustainably and emission-free is easier today thanks to electric and shared mobility services. ACCIONA’s motosharing app facilitates the hire of electric scooters by the minute - to get from A to B without harming the environment.

Saving energy and emissions

Do you really think you can do nothing from home to tackle climate change? Well, with the help of apps like Hobeen, you can achieve maximum energy efficiency in your home.

Making everyone aware of the need to reduce energy consumption through reasonable and sustainable use of energy is crucial in halting climate change.

In this app, you can find information about energy efficiency, measure your energy use, and choose which advice to apply to your daily routine to reduce your carbon footprint. And, as you accumulate points, you can change them for actions such as reforestation.

Second-hand fashion

Did you know the textile industry is one of the most polluting on the planet? Fashion produces more carbon emissions than international flights and maritime shipments combined, and all the consequences that has on climate change and global warming.

The second-hand clothes trade is thus a great sustainable alternative that allows us to continue to enjoy our wardrobe, but without contributing to resource wastage.

Apps like Vinted are helping care for the environment in this way. Just take a photo of the item of clothing you no longer wear, price it in Vinted and wait and see! Anyone in the world can buy it from you securely. And the same happens when you want to buy something: millions of items of clothes are waiting in the app for a second life!

Stop food waste

Every year, a third of the food produced worldwide is literally slung in the trash. Too Good To Go wants to end this practice by allowing food establishments to sell their excess product at reduced prices, instead of throwing it away.

Customers in shops and restaurants are already using the application. Download it and discover the offers near you. Find a place you like and order and pay with the app. Then all you need to do is pick up your food at the appointed time and enjoy it, knowing you are helping conserve the environment in the process.

Adopt circular economy habits

Currently, waste tips hold around 40% of the world’s garbage, and the 50 biggest affect the daily lives of 64 million people. Tips are toxic for the environment and pollute groundwater, generate emissions and alter ecosystems.

Thankfully, applications like Midori have appeared with the aim of righting this, caring for the environment by promoting lifestyles based on the circular economy. Recycle, repair, re-use and share your experience in the app to win points. Go up a level and unblock prizes such as: a discount on your next online purchase, a pack of stickers, and many other rewards.

Answer your recycling questions

Recycling is the easiest path by which to reduce the exploitation of natural resources, care for the environment and save energy. Making a tin from recycled metal, for example, reduces the energy used in the process by 95%; and in the case of recycled paper, represents savings of 62% energy and 86% water.

But, even today, we still have many doubts about recycling. How, for instance, do we separate plastic, metal and paper packaging? Where do we discard batteries? What should we wrap a gift in? What do we do with the tin when we’ve finished the sardines? All these doubts can be settled by A.I.R.E., the Smart Recycling Assistant, a chatbot designed by Ecoembes. Ask A.I.R.E., by voice or text, which waste belongs in which bin and learn daily how to recycle correctly.

Measuring decibels

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that prolonged exposure to excessive noise causes some 12,000 premature deaths every year and 22 million people suffer from noise pollution on a permanent basis.

Noise Meter, available in Play Store, allows you to measure the decibels you are exposed to, so you can take action against the harmful effects of noise. Measure the intensity of any volume around you and your device’s screen will display not only the measurement, but a curve displaying its peaks and troughs.

Drink without using plastic

40% of plastic worldwide is used in bottles, more than 20,000 per second manufactured around the planet. Closca Water is the app for those who never leave home without their reusable bottle. It helps you find the nearest free water source to refill your bottle. A way of quenching your thirst, and your use of plastic, in one go!