Green apps to help you celebrate Earth Day indoors

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and in any other reality, if you wanted to celebrate this momentous occasion you’d go to the park to enjoy the fresh air. More ambitious folk might even volunteer to clean up a beach or plant some trees. But now, with most outdoor activities off the table, we have to find ways to be friendlier to the environment while staying at home. Luckily, there are some good green apps that can set you on the right path, even when that path doesn’t take you outside.

Recycle Coach

The normally smoggy skies above Los Angeles might be clear right now, but down on the ground we’re generating a ridiculous amount of trash from all the deliveries we’ve been getting while sheltered in place. Luckily all those boxes are recyclable. But what about the packaging? And what do you do with those bread bags and shampoo bottles when you’re done with them? Recycle Coach lets you browse or search items to find out what can or can’t be recycled, and how you should package it for disposal. (Pro tip: Always remove the caps from your bottles, folks, and never try to recycle soiled pizza boxes.) The app can also remind you when it’s time to put out your garbage, recyclables and even your organics for mulching. One caveat is that you’ll have to know that info beforehand to input it for the app, so check your local sanitation website first.

Recycle Coach on Android Recycle Coach on iOS

Paper Karma

Recycling your junk mail is all well and good, but you know what’s even better? Not getting it in the first place. However, getting off those mailing lists you never signed up for in the first place is no easy feat. Paper Karma will do the work for you: Just scan the logo on the unwanted mail with your phone’s camera and the app will search for the company in its database. Once it finds a match, just input your mailing address and click “unsubscribe,” at which point Paper Karma will figure out the rest. Even if you’re not getting much junk mail right now, it doesn’t hurt to scan any flyers or postcards that are lying around your house while you’re spring cleaning. That way you don’t have to worry about a deluge in your mailbox once companies reopen.

Paper Karma on Android Paper Karma on iOS

GoodGuide

While there’s not much you can do about the copious amounts of packaging that comes with every shipment, you can control what’s being sent inside those boxes, choosing more environmentally friendly products for your home. With GoodGuide, you can scan a UPC of a product you already own and find out how dangerous its chemical makeup is and whether the manufacturer is transparent about what it uses. Turns out my Lemon Lysol cleanser is more toxic than 409, even though it does a worse job at cleaning my counters. The app’s database boasts over 75,000 rated products, focused on mostly household and personal items like air fresheners and cleaners, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. (Why no ratings for Raid bug spray, GoodGuide?)

GoodGuide on Android GoodGuide on iOS

Good on You

Look, we know you’re all just sitting around in sweatpants these days, but eventually you’re going to have to go out again, and you’ll want to look stylish. But when you’re picking out your post-quarantine fashion, it’s not a bad idea to be a little more eco-conscious. Good on You rates major and minor fashion brands alike, scoring them on their labor practices, environmental impact and animal product usage. If you really want to dig in it’ll tell you why too, like whether the brand bears any environmental certifications and if the workers who produce its garments are unionized. You’ll find a lot of popular brands (like Everlane) aren’t quite up to snuff, but you might find your new favorite among the higher-rated companies listed.

Good on You on Android Good on You on iOS

JouleBug

In case you haven’t tired of gamification, JouleBug encourages you to engage in environmentally friendly activities by awarding points and badges every time you log an action in the app. It’s not asking you to do anything crazy, either. We’re talking simple tasks like using a refillable bottle for water, recycling and, uh, telecommuting. (It’s nice to know I’m saving the earth just sitting here on my sofa.) But in case those are a little too obvious, the app has some bigger lifestyle challenges, too, like buying from a CSA or going meatless on Mondays. It’s easy to find what works for you, and the app will keep track of the environmental impact of what you log so you can feel all warm and fuzzy about it. (But not too warm we hope; JouleBug advises you dress lightly in the summer so you don’t have to crank the AC up so high.)

JouleBug on Android JouleBug on iOS