Going Green – There’s an App for That

Technology is often thought of as time-saving, convenient, and sometimes just plain fun, but your smart phone is also a powerful tool for conservation and smarter choices. Digital news, books, and e-mails all cut down on paper usage, but they also reduce waste and emissions from manufacturing and transportation. New technology lets you control your thermostat or sprinkler system from your smart phone, which conserves energy and water, and popular websites have opened up a global marketplace for selling and buying used goods. These technologies, when combined with mobile applications, provide resources and knowledge that allow you to better Take Care of Texas in the palm of your hand. There are many green apps available through the EPA website, but here are a few others.

Cut down on unwanted catalogs with PaperKarma. Simply take a picture of the catalog address label, submit it through the app, and they remove you from the catalog’s mailing list. Do you ever stand in the aisle not knowing which soap or coffee to buy? Let GoodGuide help you choose the more environmentally friendly products. Use your phone to scan the barcode of an item, and see how it scores against other products of its kind. Main product categories are personal care, household chemicals, and food products, but the app also includes kids’ items and pet food.

Each Texan generates about 6.4 pounds of garbage every day! By recycling paper, metal, plastic, and other materials, you can not only reduce waste but help conserve water and energy. Find local, convenient recycling opportunities on-the-go with iRecycle, brought to you by Earth911. iRecycle lets you sort over 350 materials and gives you the recycling center’s or store’s phone number, hours, address, website, and list of accepted materials. Just click on the address and go.

Explore the great outdoors with Project Noah. This app provides a tool to explore and identify plants, birds, and mammals while outside in Texas parks and gardens. Document your findings, read local spottings, or join a mission. Project Noah is one of many smart phone apps you can find on the Texas Master Naturalist website.

Checking your tire pressure, replacing air filters, and changing oil all help reduce your car’s emissions, but they also save you money. Roadcents from Drive Clean Texas is a web app that allows drivers to calculate their per-mile driving cost based on driving habits, maintenance history, road conditions, and miles driven.

Take Care of Texas does not endorse any of these mobile or web applications and only gives them as examples of how technology can encourage recycling and conservation.