Earth Day is approaching, reminding us of the importance of decreasing our carbon footprint, preserving natural resources, and adopting sustainable habits. I've always been conscious of environmental protection and have been working on reducing my waste and taking care of nature. To prepare for Earth Day, I'd like to share some apps that can help you make your lifestyle more sustainable.
PaperKarma
Let's start with paper waste. Aren't you tired of the piles of catalogs, brochures, coupons, and other paper waste that clutters your mailbox? Honestly, does anyone really look through all of them? You probably just put them in the recycling bin right away. The good news is that in the USA, with the PaperKarma app, you can opt out of all unnecessary catalogs and brochures. The app allows you to remove your contact information from all paper mailing lists in just a few taps. Simply snap a picture of your unwanted mail and tap Send to remove yourself from a marketing list. Within 24 hours, you’ll receive a notification that you’ve been unsubscribed.
The fewer paper catalogs and brochures are distributed, the fewer trees are cut down to make paper.
iScanner
Once you're free from junk mail, it's time to tackle your shelves and cabinets. You'll likely find old notebooks, printouts of lectures, sketches, catalogs, and unnecessary documents. You might find papers or magazines that you don't want to throw away because they might be useful in the future or you have fond memories of them. In this case, you can scan these documents and send paper counterparts for recycling. With the help of a mobile scanner, such as iScanner, you can easily capture high-quality scans of documents from photos and convert them into different formats. Plus, you can conveniently store them in a file manager.
Too Good To Go
Now let's talk about food waste. Every day, tons of food in the USA and Europe goes to waste because it's nearing its expiration date. If a croissant or chop isn't bought in time, it will simply be thrown away. Too Good To Go helps solve this problem. On the app, restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets post information about products and dishes that will soon expire and give them away at a discount. By using this app, you can both reduce waste and save money.
Olio
If you like to cook, you might also have food leftovers. Of course, you can plan your menu to prepare new dishes from all leftover products. But if you miscalculate and buy more of it than you can use or cook too much food, you need to make sure that it doesn't go to the trash can.
In such cases, the Olio app will come to the rescue. Just take a photo of the products or food you want to donate, and other users nearby will get a notification. You can agree on a time the other person will pick up the item right in the app. In addition to food, you can donate tableware, cosmetics, toys, clothes, and other items through the app.
Tap Hydration & Water Stations
Plastic waste is one of the most pressing issues for our planet. Most of you have probably seen video clips of how much plastic now pollutes our oceans, forests, and every other place where people reside. Eliminating all plastic from your life is difficult, but you can take small steps in this direction. For example, start carrying a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. You can refill your bottle not only at home or in the office but also in many public places where drinking fountains are available or in cafes and restaurants that offer water. Finding such places in the US is easy with the Tap app, which shows locations where you can get water and the fastest route to get there.
The list of apps that help reduce your carbon footprint is extensive. However, from personal experience, I know that having too many options makes it difficult to choose, so I will not distract your attention. Try any of these five apps, and by using at least one of them, you will begin contributing to the preservation of the environment today. There is no need to wait for Earth Day or any other environmental event to start your eco-conscious journey.