Is eco still a trend in app development? +worthy green ideas
First, I had a thought
Here in Georgia where I reside, things are not great with separate waste collection. You can come across trays for plastic bottles, but this is still not a common thing.
For almost a year that I’ve been living here, I’ve been religiously collecting plastic waste and only throwing it into specialized trays giving me a ‘green light’ (pardon the pun). I was sure I was doing a good thing for the Earth and one day it would thank me.
When I dived deeper into the topic of plastic recycling, my pink glasses gave a crack. You can read why plastic recycling doesn’t quite work and will hardly ever work at The Atlantic.
So there’s nothing we can do?
Not that I’m skeptical about any kinds of eco activities and ecological startups. I’m still convinced we can make Earth a better place if we start with ourselves. So I began digging into other ways to go greener.
You too can help people be more conscious about their trace. The environmental trend in business is showing tremendous growth. Here I’m going to list eco-friendly business ideas I came across and came up with.
Basically what I did is searched Google Play and App Store for eco-green-recycling-reusing apps so that you don’t have to.
Let’s go from general ideas for environment project to specific examples of how they can be implemented. Wave if you are currently using any of the listed.
- Eco activity tracker app,
- Bike/Electric scooter sharing app,
- Apps to record wildlife you see. Described these in my post on travel startup ideas,
- Educational apps on ecology topic,
- Map with glass or anything else recycling points,
- Any kinds of educational games for kids,
- Second-hand clothing apps,
- Food sharing apps so that less food is tossed.
Now for a couple of green startups I think are great
Trail Router
Trail Router helps users discover new running routes. The unique routing algorithm suggests paths that go through parks, forests, or by water, and is designed to avoid busy roads wherever possible. It can be used just for sports lovers or also for building bike routes to reduce car usage for transportation.
Go Zero Waste
If plastic recycling didn’t work for you like it didn’t for me, there’s a more radical way to get away with the evil plastic. Go Zero Waste is an eco-friendly company aiming to help people buy locally and plastic-free and live a Zero Waste life. With the app, they can find local stores and products around and learn Zero Waste tips at their own pace.
Vinted — Second-hand clothing
The #10 of the most popular apps in the UK per today which proves the trend for consuming wiser.
Finding something unique among second-hand clothing is not only a joy but also a good thing to reduce consumption, so I consider Vinted an eco app to some extent for a reason.
Too Good To Go: End Food Waste
The app allows finding good food at good prices. When a supermarket, a bakery, or a restaurant has extra food by the end of the day which can’t be sold or served the day after, it can sell it at lower prices using the app.
The green idea behind the app is that power consumed for producing foods can’t just go away and needs to be justified. ‘Too Good To Go wants to put an end to food waste by creating a world where food produced is food consumed,’ state the creators.
Muuse — Future of Multiple Use
One of genuinely great eco tech startups. If you don’t want to toss, reuse! Muuse allows for sharing coffee caps, food boxes, and other plastic stuff we’re used to considering single-use to be given a second, third, ninth life. The app is currently operating in Hong Kong and Singapore. Why not build a similar one for your region?
App development is one of the industries going green. Well, not exactly, because electricity is still needed for computing, but you get my point. With the right idea, you have a great opportunity to become a successful eco entrepreneur. One initiative can help hundreds of people revise their habits and do small but ultimately useful things.
