We all want to be less wasteful, right? But it can be hard, thinking about it all the time, working it into your life which is generally quite stressful already. Thanks to the wonders of modern life (it's not all doom and gloom) whether you're looking to cut down on food waste, save water or shop more ethically, there's an app for that.
Check out these seven different - and free - apps which can help you cut down on the resources you use and help to save the planet.
Food waste
An almighty third of all food produced is wasted, and over 800 million people go hungry every day. Food waste also adds to carbon emissions as it’s transported around the world before being dumped by you, restaurants, caterers or supermarkets. It’s also one of the easiest ways to make a difference and there are some very clever folk out there working to find surplus food new bellies to feed.
Too Good To Go
One of the leading lights of getting surplus food moving around the consumer chain. The app connects hungry diners with cafes and restaurants who have food left over at the end of the day. They sell all their food, you get great food at a discounted price. Find signed up stores near you on the app.
Download Too Good To Go here.
Help combat food waste by using one of these apps that connects hungry diners with local restaurants
Olio
Similar to Too Good To Go, Olio works on the premise of finding new homes for surplus food but this time it’s peer to peer. So if your neighbour has made too much spag bol or someone’s going on holiday and doesn’t want to waste the contents of their fridge, they can stick it on Olio and you can go and pick it up - for free. Meet new people, help feed others and or get a free lunch.
Download Olio here.
UGO Fresh
UGO Fresh is being trialled in parts of London at present, it connects shops and restaurants with hungry food waste fighters who can pick up surplus food. Discover new outlets near you, get cheap meals and save food from the bin.
Download UGO Fresh here.
Discover new ethical fashion brands through the Good On You app
Fashion
Fashion is the second most polluting industry on earth and fast fashion has ramped up our overconsumption in the last couple of decades. But there are different solutions you can get stuck into, from buying less, spending with ethical fashion brands to recycling and upcycling. And it's never been easier with these apps.
Good On You
Good On You is currently the only app that rates and recommends ethical fashion brands. Find out how 1,200 fashion brands treat people, the planet and animals so you can make your sartorial decisions based on sound facts. If you’re lacking in ethical fashion inspo, download Good On You and meet a global network of fashion brands putting the planet first. (And sign up for our weekly pebble post issue packed full of new ethical brands).
Download Good On You here.
reGAIN
We all know fast fashion is a hugely complex issue and even if you want to move to a more ethical wardrobe, you’re hardly going to dump your existing clothes and start again in one big sweep. Recycleyour fast fashion finds from numerous high street and online stores with reGAIN and you’ll get discount codes on food, fashion and more.
While the app isn’t trying to stop everyone buying fast fashion, it is trying to tackle the amount of clothes we just throw away and funnel perfectly good clothing to the 70% of the world's population who do wear second hand clothing.
Fill a box, drop it off (the app reckons it has drop off points in every town and city in the UK) and unlock discounts.
Download reGAIN here.
Don't forget your reusable water bottle - it's easy to refill
Save water
Water might not have been a headline issue over the last couple of years but water scarcity is a global concern. The average person gets through 150 litres of water a day and we've talked a lot about single use plastic bottles and the fact the world goes through a million a minute. Just like any other resource, we need to think about where our water comes from and goes to.
Refill
Having started in Bristol, Refill is rolling out across the UK with over 10,000 points where you can refill your reusable water bottle. But where are these points we hear you ask?
It’s simple, it’s the restaurant you always walk past or the cafe on the corner. Businesses sign up and display a sticker in the window, you can find them on an app and stop by for free water. You'll wonder why this didn't exist already.
Download Refill here.
Kleen
Did you know the average car wash uses 95 gallons of water? Kleen have revolutionised the service, using waterless technology to clean your car using just 250ml instead. Download the app to book in a clean, the on demand comes to you. It saves water and saves time, an all round win. Sadly this is currently a London only service.
Download Kleen here.
