The people have spoken: The Four Most Requested Green App Ideas
EPA’s My Green Apps site features over 260 environmental apps that can help you live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. From measuring your carbon footprint to recycling to checking air and water quality in your area, these apps put information at your fingertips.
You’ve suggested lots of ideas for green apps and we’re thrilled that you’ve told us your favorites by “Liking” them over 850 times! ” We’ve highlighted the top four green app ideas below and matched them with existing apps about those topics. Give these apps a try and let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter!
Developers: Why not try to make some of these apps? We’ve done market research about the apps people want and what’s already out there. Stay tuned for a future post about data you can use to convert these ideas into apps.
1. Recycling
IDEA: Create an app that shows the user where recycling centers are located for various kinds of waste.
EXISTING APPS
iRecycle
earth911 Description: iRecycle is an easy and accessible way to get people plugged into local recycling opportunities. iRecycle provides access to more than 1.5 million ways to recycle plus the latest in green news and ideas to match your lifestyle.
1800 Recycle
Google Play Description: 1800 Recycle helps you find recycling locations near you. Find address and contact information, get directions, and make your own personalized list so that recycling is a breeze.
We Recycle
Google Play Description: WeRecycle is a platform to facilitate communication about waste between citizens and their community. It consists of a community-built map of outdoor and event trash cans and recycle bins and a mobile app.
2. Air Quality/Environmental Information
IDEA: Create a GIS app that would track the user’s location to provide environmental information about the surrounding area.
EXISTING APPS
Pollution
iTunes Description: Pollution gives you up-to-date information about the levels of air pollution in your local area. You can get real-time data about electromagnetic pollution, air pollution, water pollution and pollution and emissions to soil.
GreenSpaceMap
Google Play Description: GreenSpace Map allows you to view the sites that EPA regulates in your area to determine the proximity of reported sites within any 20-mile radius.
AirCasting
Google Play Description: AirCasting is a platform for recording, mapping, and sharing health and environmental data using your smartphone. Each AirCasting session lets you capture real-world measurements, annotate the data to tell your story, and share it via the CrowdMap.
3. Carbon Footprint Tracking
IDEA: Create a carbon footprint calculator application that allows the user to enter information to determine what the carbon footprint is.
EXISTING APPS
My CO2 Calculator
Google Play Description: My CO2 Carbon Calculator App allows you to quantify your effect on the environment while at work, home and while travelling.
iViro
iTunes Description: Save money and reduce your home’s environmental impact quickly and cheaply by completing a full home energy analysis and getting results on the best places to make changes.
Amtrak Carbon Footprint
Amtrak Description: By measuring your carbon footprint with tools like a carbon calculator, you can get an idea of what level of emissions your lifestyle generates and where you can take action to reduce your individual impact on the environment.
4. Environmentally Friendly Products
IDEA: Create an app that allows users to identify a product via barcode scan or item look up and find details about the product from an environmental perspective.
EXISTING APPS
Label Lookup
iTunes Description: You are in a store, considering what to buy and you see a claim on a product – maybe your cleaning product bears the Green Seal label, or a claim on the carton says the eggs are “Animal Welfare Approved.” What does it mean? Is it backed up by good standards? Pull out your iPhone and check it out on Label Lookup.
True Food
iTunes description: Go behind the label and get the facts on genetically modified foods! The True Food Shoppers Guide gives you valuable information on common GM ingredients, brands to look for — and look out for — and common sense tips to keep you in the know and help you find and avoid GM ingredients wherever you shop.
GoodGuide
iTunes description: The GoodGuide app instantly reveals whether products are safe, healthy, green and socially responsible while you shop. The app’s barcode scanning feature lets you quickly access GoodGuide’s science-based health, environment and social ratings for over 170,000 products.
Don’t see an app you’re looking for? Check out the list of green apps and search for an app by category or name. Still don’t see what you need? Suggest an app idea so developers know what you want.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed here are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
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