10 Digital Innovations to Help Keep Your Consumption Green
By Kristin Rawls | January 11, 2012 at 9:22 am
When it comes to consumer reporting, “Which product offers me the best product for the least amount of money?” isn’t the only question consumers are asking these days. Now we think about phrases like “corporate social responsibility,” a fancy way of talking about which companies give the most back. Plus, we want to know how green the products we already have are – and what we can do to cut back. Indeed, we are learning to think about consumption in terms of what fits into our budget and what is best for the planet.
Here are just a few of the eco-conscious questions you might grapple with as you research your next big purchase: Which companies make corporate social responsibility a priority? What kinds of charities does this company support? Which companies are making meaningful contributions to caring for the planet? How can I cut back in order to reduce my consumption?
There is so much to consider these days. But there are plenty of great apps and reports out there to help guide you. Here are 10 different ways to use these consumer-reporting innovations to be a better consumer:
- Check out Consumer Reports’ Greenerchoices.org. This is a comprehensive website that can help you make better choices. It provides Eco-Labels that tell you how green the item you’re considering happens to be. It includes a range of products, from electronics to cars to food and beverages.
- Try Eco-Labels ($0.99), the iPhone app for Greenerchoices.org. It brings all of the information from the website to your phone for use right in the store.
- Download the free GoodGuide app for iPhone and Android. It lets you scan a product right there in the store. The app loads a full report that tells you how green that product is.
- Ecorio is a free app for iPhone and Blackberry. It measures how far you travel each day and keeps a record of your transportation (e.g., bus or car). It shows about how much natural gas you’re consuming each day and also provides information on carpools and public transport in your area. There is an Android version in the works.
- greenMeter ($5.99) is an app for iPhone and iPod Touch. It measures your vehicle’s power and fuel usage. Then it assesses “your driving to increase efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cost, and lower your environmental impact. Results are displayed in real time, while driving, to give instantaneous feedback.”
- Locavore makes it easy to buy local foods by loading the different merchants and restaurants that sell local produce and meat on to your iPhone or Android. It’s a great way to eat seasonally without spending lots of time on outside research.
- Carticipate is a free app for iPhone and Facebook. It helps you network with carpools and people interested in carpooling in order to decrease gas consumption.
- ShopGreen ($0.99) is an iPhone app that makes it easy to track your carbon footprint. It allows you to log each activity you do during the day to reduce your footprint and provides tips for transportation, home, shopping and recycling.
- Kill-O-Watts is an iPhone app that shows you which of your appliances are consuming the most energy. It also shows you how to cut down on energy use and save money.
- Seafood Watch for Android and iPhone uses social networking to help you track the seafood you buy – and figure out which products are safe and sustainable. It’s free.
What are some other great green living apps and innovations that you use?
