Smartphone Apps of the Month- April

In honor of Earth Day, which is on April 22, it seemed fitting to go with a “green” theme for this month’s recommended apps. April’s apps help smartphone users make environmentally conscious decisions regarding the products we buy and use every day, as well as the ones we haven’t used in a while.

iRecycle: Available on Android and iPhone

‘Tis the season for spring cleaning! For me, spring cleaning is all about getting rid of stuff just taking up space and that I no longer need. But what do you do with old appliances, empty printer cartridges, and cans of leftover paint? Do you just throw them in the garbage to take up space in a landfill? Or can they be recycled or reused for some other benefit? And if so, where would I take them to be recycled? That’s where the iRecycle app comes in.

iRecycle makes it easy to find recycling locations for almost anything. The app is clean and simple, and provides access to more than a million ways to recycle over 350 materials—everything from aerosol cans to zinc-carbon batteries. Browse different categories or use the search tool to find your item to be recycled. Based on your location, iRecycle uses GPS to direct you to the nearest facility that accepts the material you’re looking to unload. The app also lists the facility’s contact information and any other materials they accept.

With iRecycle, I found local recycling facilities that I didn’t even know existed. And it sure feels good to get rid of stuff AND preserve our planet at the same time!

GoodGuide: Available on Android and iPhone

Determining which foods and products are eco-friendly or more sustainable than others used to be difficult—especially while shopping. Thanks to GoodGuide, that’s not the case anymore. This app makes it easy to find safe, healthy, green, and socially responsible products based on scientific ratings. GoodGuide rates over 200,000 food, health, baby, pet, beauty, and cleaning products on a 0-10 scale for their health, environmental, and social impact. It even scores companies on their health practices and environmental policies. That’s a lot of useful information in the palm of your hand!

GoodGuide lets you browse categories or search for specific products that meet your personal values and preferences. And you can sort by particular traits and ingredients, or by the product’s health, environment, or society score.

I especially like the built-in barcode scanner, which helps me make purchasing decisions while shopping. With all the different options and brands available, it’s hard to know which is the healthiest or greenest. GoodGuide makes it easy. Just scan a product’s barcode to see its overall score. You can also view the reasoning behind the ratings, the product’s ingredient list, and how the company scores on environmental and social responsibility. The app even provides alternative products (from the same brand and others) with higher, healthier, and greener scores!

Shopping green has never been easier.

Happy Earth Day!