Each day, it feels more and more like we’re living in the future. New and exciting technologies are just on the horizon, changing our lives in key ways.
But perhaps the most important area of tech today is greentech. Greentech applications are pieces of tech that helps reduce, mitigate, or reverse the impact of our activity on the environment. This is important all the time, but especially in an era where climate change is more prevalent than ever before.
In the past, we’ve covered how machine learning and AI can be used to power greentech. Today, we’re going to be looking at greentech apps and services that you should know about. Most of these are services you can start using today to reduce your carbon footprint. So, let’s dive in!
9 greentech applications you should know about
PaperKarma
First up on our list of greentech applicaitons is PaperKarma. PaperKarma is a straightforward service that not only cuts waste but helps keeps you from wasting time.
It does this by eliminating junk snail-mail. When you receive junk mail that you aren’t interested in, just take a picture of it and submit it to PaperKarma. PaperKarma will then remove you from that mailing list, preventing you from getting more mail from that service.
This has the dual benefit of adding convenience to your life and removing paper waste from the environment. It can also free up space on mail trucks, reducing energy usage.
ThredUp
ThredUp is an online consignment and thrift store. That’s it! Just like how you have local thrift stores carrying secondhand clothing, ThredUp offers stylish clothes that have already been worn.
ThredUp’s approach is great (and green) for a few reasons. Not everyone has access to a secondhand clothing store in their region, so ThredUp can be a great online option.
And most traditional thrift stores don’t offer online shopping because their inventory is so varied and changeable. ThredUp gives users to search through a large catalog of second-hand clothing, giving them the chance to find what they truly want.
This approach helps reduce people purchasing new clothing and keeps perfectly good, used clothing out of landfills — both major environmental benefits.
Bikemap
As the name implies, Bikemap helps people navigate cities by bicycle. The goal of Bikemap is to encourage people to ride their bikes in situations where they might normally opt for a fossil-fuel-powered vehicle.
It’s a great tool, as cycling directions can be hard to come by depending on where you live. At the time of writing, Bikemap covers 674 million kilometers of cycling paths, so you’re bound to find great directions no matter where you’re located. And with over 7 million existing users, Bikemap is already making a difference and getting people to move towards greener forms of transportation.
Too good to go
Too Good To Go might sound “too good to be true,” but this greentech application’s premise is simple. It’s an app that seeks to reduce food waste by letting people buy food that would otherwise be thrown away from restaurants, grocery stores, and more.
Food waste is a huge environmental problem, and much of the food we throw away is perfectly edible. Too Good To Go helps keep this food out of the trash and lets users purchase food from their favorite restaurants at massively discounted rates. They do this by offering a “magic bag” (or mystery bag) of food that is at or nearing it’s expiration date, or is leftover at the end of the day. Restaurants and stores can keep food from being wasted, and consumers can enjoy tasty food at low prices — what’s not to love?!
Back market
Many people overlook e-waste — the waste produced by electronics. But as a tech company, we’re keenly aware just how big an issue e-waste is. Electronics are some of the hardest products to recycle or reuse, so finding ways to extend the life of our technology is crucial.
That’s where Back Market fits in. It’s a UK-based refurbished electronics store, allowing people to purchase perfectly functional, second-hand electronics. Their goal is to reduce the amount of e-waste each person produces, and so far they’ve been successful in their mission.
Fat Llama
How many times have you run to the store to buy a tool for a DIY project only to never use that tool again? Our consumer culture encourages this type of “single-use” purchasing which is terrible for the environment.
Fat Llama is trying to change how we think about getting things done. It’s a greentech app that allows you to lend and borrow anything from people nearby. The idea is to reduce the amount of new items that people purchase, saving them money and saving the environment in the process.
ethy
ethy is a greentech application that we can all use in our effort to make conscious spending decisions.
ethy works by showing you trustworthy brands that are doing their part to make a difference in helping the environment. It’s a fast resource that you can access when deciding to buy something to make sure that you’re reducing your carbon footprint every time you shop.
OLIO
Similar to Too Good To Go, OLIO is all about reducing food waste. Unlike Too Good To Go, however, OLIO focuses on community sharing rather than reducing commercial food waste.
To use the app, you just list something you’d like to give away. For the most part, that’s going to be food, pet food, or kitchen items, though you can find other items on the app. Then all you have to do is wait for someone to come and pick up the goods!
Ecosia
Last but not least on our list of greentech apps is Ecosia. Ecosia is an app you may have heard of, as it’s grown in popularity over the years. Ecosia is a search engine, like Google or DuckDuckGo, but it has a green twist.
Unlike those other search engines, Ecosia vows to plant trees with the money it earns from ad revenue. Every time you make a search on Ecosia, you’re helping plant more trees around the world. It’s that simple.
Build your own greentech software with RebelDot.
These apps are great ways to incorporate greentech in your day-to-day life, but you don’t have to stop there!
You can build your own greentech applications today by partnering with RebelDot. Reach out to our team of experts today to make your greentech idea a reality.
