The Green Minute: New Smart Phone? Get Some Green Apps
Courtesy of Pat Byington, The Green Register Editor
Last week, my old cell phone went on life support. The screen went blank every time I would close the phone. To pull up the screen, to access my address book of phone numbers, I had to patiently turn the phone on and off 3 to 6 times. It was infuriating.
So now I’m in the market for a new phone. Having not purchased a cell phone in 4 years, I learned during my visit to the local Verizon store, that cell phones are “out” and smart phones are “in”.
In fact, the salesman was offering to sell me an iPhone for $1. To purchase a cell phone similar to the one I presently use, would cost me over $100.
My wife and I (we can get 2 iPhones for $2), will be wisely upgrading to a smart phone, but before we made the purchase, we looked for recommended “green” apps to put on the new phone.
For today’s Green Minute, I am going to share some green apps for the smart phone from the Sierra Club that we discovered before making the switch from a cellphone to a smart phone.
Recycling Apps
Recyclebank rewards its members for making eco-friendly choices, providing points for daily activities such as recycling, water usage, energy efficiency, and purchasing green products. Members can view their points balance, report recycling activity to earn points and order rewards with its app.
Earth911.com’s iRecycle connects users to its comprehensive database of 100,000 recycling centers in the U.S., including information on what can be recycled and what local recycling options are available.
Energy Efficiency in the Home App
iViro helps users create more sustainable homes and living spaces. You can perform a customized energy analysis on your home. Additional features provide ideas on energy-saving alternatives and strategies to ensure your home is energy-efficient and cost-efficient while reducing its environmental impact.
Green Products App
GoodGuide provides ratings for products and companies to help consumers assess their environmental, health and social performance. Its iPhone app allows users to browse its database, which includes 170,000 products ranging from food, personal care and household items, to find the most eco-friendly in each category.
Food
Designed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Seafood Watch interactive app helps users choose sustainable seafood and sushi options at restaurants and markets. It provides the most current recommendations for seafood and sushi as well as information about how each item should be fished or farmed.
Eco-Footprint App
From our friends at the World Wildlife Fund, calculate your personal ecological footprint with this multi-functional app, including your daily energy consumption, the food you eat (and how far it has to travel), to your carbon emissions from commuting activity and travel. The section “Ways to Improve Your Result” educates and shares ideas on ways to reduce your footprint.
Image Credit: Photos.com
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