Sustainable Life: Seven apps for living green

Posted on 7 January, 2019

These days there’s an app for everything. 

Smartphones are pocket-based personal assistants, ready to organise, connect and inspire. How did anyone get by before smartphones and apps were invented?

Sustainable living apps can show you where to shop, how to cook leftovers and when to plant veggies. There’s even an app that rewards you for meeting your sustainable living goals…it’s the gamified sustainable living experience. Here are seven of the best sustainable living apps.

Good on you

Want to support fashion brands that share your values in sustainability and fair trade? Compare David Jones with Jigsaw and Zara. If you don’t like what you see from a favourite brand, send them a message to let them know you expect better. This app was developed in Australia in 2015, had more than 10,000 downloads in its’ first eight days and recently expanded to the US and Europe. More than 1,100 brands are rated, from large department stores to boutique online outlets.

Love your leftovers

Need the inspiration to cook up those last veggies stuck in the back of the fridge? Want help meal planning and shopping?  This app was developed by Cumberland City Council, with support from the NSW Government, as part of the Love Food, Hate Waste campaign.  It’s got a tonne of recipes and you can grow the movement yourself by submitting your own recipes.

Share waste

Sick of throwing your kitchen scraps in the bin, but not sure what to do with them?  Share waste connects you with people who live nearby, who need your scraps for their compost or chickens.

Share waste was developed in Australia and has more than 17,000 people signed up. Right now there are more than 50 places spread across Canberra that are ready and waiting to take your food scraps.

Joule Bug

Need sustainable living inspiration? Do you like a challenge or the opportunity to score sustainability points? Joule Bug puts ‘fun’ and ‘community’ into making your lifestyle more sustainable. The app was developed in the US, with sustainable living ideas that are relevant around the world. Set your own sustainable living goals about energy, food, water, waste or transport.  Let Joule bug remind you to live the way that you intend.

ABC Veggie Guide

Getting organised in your veggie patch has never been easier – for people just starting out and those with years of experience.

The ABC Veggie Guide was developed by the ABC’s Gardening Australia team in 2013.  It will help you decide what to plant, and when – tailored for each climatic zone.  There’s a feature that lets you keep a record of the veggie planting results, to help you plan from year to year.

Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide

All fish were not created equal. Find out which fish are better choices – and which are not. The app was developed by the Australian Marine Conservation Society and includes more than 90 seafood species, including Australian and imported seafood. Unfortunately, delicious as they are, scallops are no longer on the menu due to the way they’re farmed. It’s New South Wales flathead from the South Coast for me.

Plug share

Imagine yourself with an electric vehicle? The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy-powered cars is going to happen faster than we all imagine. This app shows where you can charge-up, across Australia. It’s for people with electric vehicles and for people who dream about owning an electric vehicle…one day.