For many people, smartphones aren’t just nifty gadgets used for texting and Internet browsing. They are an effective way to organise busy schedules and make day-to-day tasks and planning just that little bit easier. The iOS app market is full of downloadable applications that cater for all manner of interests, hobbies and lifestyles. In recent years, environmentally conscious apps have been launched to appeal to users who are keen about keeping green and conserving the planet. From recycling unwanted possessions to reducing carbon emissions, these helpful apps make it easier than ever to enjoy a green lifestyle.

GoodGuide

This handy app is much more than a typical barcode scanner. It retrieves information from the barcodes of over 170,000 supermarket products and rates the manufacturer’s environmental impact. GoodGuide instantly displays any human rights, animal welfare or environmental cases that the company has been involved in. A must for green, ethical shopping.

Green Outlet

Those concerned about their household’s carbon usage can try out this handy app to see how much common household appliances cost to run. Listing thousands of electrical appliances, users can identify ways to save money on household bills and reduce energy.

Pollution

The Pollution iPhone app uses GPS to retrieve realtime information about nearby pollution levels and rates the air, water and electromagnetic exposure levels of the local environment.

Taptu Environmental News

Powered by the Guardian, this app helps keep you informed of all the latest environmental news and stories. The content can be customised so you can choose to receive articles about only specific environmental news, like climate change or wildlife.

Green Gas Saver

Although we’d all like to reduce our car’s carbon emissions, for those with long commutes or school runs it can be hard to cut down on the time spent behind the wheel. However, with the Green Gas Saver app, you can drive in a much more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly way. Using the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer and GPS, the app records the likes of sharp turns, fast accelerating and sudden braking, and reports on whether you are wasting petrol or driving green.

Anyjunk

Unlike most skip hire companies, Anyjunk dvert away from landfills and actively try to recycle all refuse that they collect. Even better, they don’t charge by the container size and customers only have to pay for the amount of rubbish they have removed. Using the handy iPhone app, customers can record a video of their refuse, choose a time for collection and receive a quote. It’s a much easier and eco-friendly way to dispose of unwanted waste.

Avego

The Avego app makes car-sharing fun and easy to arrange. It scans for other commuters in your area, so you can arrange a carpool to help reduce carbon emissions. By tracking the distance of the journey, the app also automatically calculates how much petrol has been used and how much each person should chip-in to cover the driver’s travel costs.

Gumtree

Gumtree’s classifieds have long been the easiest way to get rid of unwanted possessions. Rather than taking your old coffee table or armchair to the landfill, post an ad using the iPhone app so that someone else can give your old furniture a new home.

iRecycle

Even expert green enthusiasts can get confused from time to time about what packaging and materials can be recycled and what can’t. The iRecycle app contains information about how to safely and correctly recycle over 240 materials like electronics, such as inkjet cartridges and old CRT monitors, and even hazardous waste.

EcoCharge

Using an iPhone regularly can quickly eat up the battery, and it’s easy to just leave them plugged in for hours at a time even when they are fully charged. The EcoCharge app plays an alert when your iPhone is fully charged so you know when it’s time to shut off your charger and save electricity.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-18723475-smart-phone-and-earth.php?st=8792892

John is a UK based copywriter who works for skipandbin.com – the comparison site for skip companies with green credentials.