10 simple apps to help you tackle global warming and reduce your waste

This year could be an important milestone when it comes to the way we deal with climate change. In October, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference takes place in Glasgow, during which world leaders will meet to agree a plan to tackle global warming.

Climate change and extreme weather remain in the headlines thanks to floods in Germany, winter storms in Texas and dust storms in China. And it doesn’t look as though it's going to improve.

A recent landmark study by UN scientists warned we could see increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding during the next decade. Alongside this, the world is grappling with the problem of waste – and in particular plastic waste – which continues to hit the headlines.

If you want to help tackle climate change and reduce your waste, how do you find information that will help you, and how do you track your progress in reducing energy use and waste? Read on to discover 10 apps that could help.

1. Good on You

If you’re looking to make shopping for clothes more environmentally friendly, Good on You provides sustainability ratings for clothing and fashion. Using the free app, you can check the impact of your favourite fashion brands and discover better alternatives from 3,000 brands.

2. Commute Greener

Commute Greener is a free app that means you can measure the carbon dioxide emitted during your everyday commute. Whether travelling by car, bus or train you can see your carbon footprint, set targets for yourself and even challenge others to reduce their CO2 emissions.

3. JouleBug

JouleBug helps make everyday habits more sustainable. The free app provides sustainability tips and then helps you turn them into actions using easy-to-understand links, statistics and videos. It also allows you to get friends involved and track your progress in being kinder to the planet.

4. Refill

Plastic pollution is a monumental problem for the planet. While reusable water bottles can help tackle it, refilling them while you’re on the go can be difficult. This free app lets you know where you can replenish your water bottle by providing more than 30,000 refill stations across Britain, and 270,000 globally.

5. Giki

Want a quick and easy way to learn how eco-friendly a product is? This free app has a built-in scanner so you can check whether a product is responsibly sourced, committed to animal welfare and packaged with recyclable materials. If a product doesn't score well, Giki offers alternatives.

6. Kitche

If you want to reduce your household food waste, this free app can help. Use it to scan supermarket receipts and it adds items to your virtual pantry, after which Kitch lets you know when food is reaching its “best before” date. It also allows you to track the food you throw away to reduce your waste.

7. thredUp

The fashion industry produces 20% of the world’s waste water. This app allows you to sell, buy and thrift high quality women’s and children’s clothing, reducing waste through the re-use of garments.

8. Ecosia

Ecosia is a search engine that generates money from adverts to plant trees across the planet. The free app aims to end deforestation and climate change while restoring landscapes and protecting wildlife. It even provides a tree counter to see how many trees your searches have planted.

9. PlugShare

While electric cars are increasingly popular, their range can still be a concern for many. This free app shows you nearby charging points and categorises them so that you know if it's fast charge or has a particular plug type.

Users can rate each point, and the app also tells you if a charging point is in use.

10. WWF My Footprint

This free app provides practical advice on how you can help tackle climate change and reduce waste. By offering easy steps and a variety of challenges, you can track your progress on issues including reducing your plastic consumption or having a more environmentally friendly diet.

Get in touch

We hope the apps help you if you are looking to help tackle climate change and reduce your waste. If you are also interested in discussing ways you might make your wealth more environmentally friendly, contact us below.

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