Have you ever found yourself standing in the supermarket aisle debating which tissue will keep you from looking like the most famous reindeer of all without contributing to the slow annihilation of a rain forest? Well, there’s an app for that.
We’ve sifted through the reviews, downloaded dozens upon dozens of green apps for iPhone and here are the ones we feel are worth their megabytes.
Gorgeously Green Survival Guide – $0.99
If you’re trying to remember names like Benzalkonium Chloride and Tocopherol Acetate, there isn’t a pneumonic device on this earth that’s going to help you unless maybe you’re Doogie Howser. No worries, the GGSG comes with a comprehensive, alphabetized list of toxic ingredients to keep an eye out for. If you’re wondering what fish to buy for dinner, check the fish list to see which are the best and worst choices and why. In the produce section? Check the list of fruits and veggies that have the highest anti-oxidants, the ones you should buy organic (the ones most heavily sprayed with pesticides). Look up the PLU number on your fruit to see if it is genetically modified. The sunscreen buying guide explains what “paba-free” and “chemical-free” really mean. Other lists include: carcinogenic food ingredients, beauty ingredients to avoid, a plastics guide—a list that will tell you what number plastics are safe to drink out of, which are safe to reuse, which are recyclable and where, and a smoke point list–a list of different cooking oils and the temperature that causes them to burn and form carcinogens. Basically, this app is the equivalent of having an encyclopedia in your pocket.
MeterRead – $2.99
This is a great app, but it also requires an SAT score of at least 1400 to understand at first, so take a trip to www.zerogate.com and get to know the program. Once you learn how it works MeterRead will make reading your electric meter easy and save you money. It calculates current usage to the millisecond, predicts 30-day usage and stores data for hundreds of readings.
Star Walk – $0.99
This one makes us happy. It has very cool sound effects that will make you feel like Captain Spock on the USS Enterprise and literally puts the universe right at your fingertips. Scroll through all the constellations of the night sky, exactly as they appear in front of you at the exact moment you’re standing there.
Find Green – Free
Complete with maps, this app allows you to search green-oriented businesses by category within walking, biking and driving distance from exactly where you are. The best part about it? While many of these location-based applications don’t yield results that are anywhere near where you are, this one actually does.
VegOut – $2.99
If you’re vegan, vegetarian or simply in the company of someone who is, this one will make your life a lot easier. One touch gives you a list of every vegan/vegetarian/veg-friendly restaurant within a radius of your choosing, plus maps, directions, and phone numbers in case you get lost.
GoodGuide – Free
This is a great companion at the grocery store to help you figure out, well, what’s good. It will show you the labels of almost every product at the supermarket complete with calorie, carb, fat, ingredient and vitamin information. You can also check whether the company has any social or environmental violations on record. Items are rated on a scale of one to 10 and charts show how each one compares to federal guidelines.
iRecycle – Free
Type in what you want to recycle and you’ll get a list of nearby facilities complete with phone numbers, websites, addresses, any restrictions, materials accepted, residence requirements and anything else you could possibly need to know.
Greenpeace Tissue Guide – Free
This is the most complete guide to toilet paper (and paper towels, napkins and tissues) you could ever ask for—ones to buy, ones to avoid plus details on post consumer content and overall recycled product.
Carbon Tracker – Free
This app allows you to keep track of all of your miles traveled by car, train, and plane and charts your carbon emissions. It even has GPS to track your trips. Set goals and keep track of your carbon usage with graphs.
Whole Foods Market Recipes – Free
Punch in any special diets like gluten-free or dairy-free, the course, and the people eating and get a list of recipes with pictures and nutrition information. You’ll never, ever have to write out a grocery list again. Only have a few ingredients on hand? Not a problem. Punch in what you have, and they’ll tell you what you can make.
