Top 5 apps to ease you into a sustainable lifestyle and change the way you shop

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Here at Living, we’re all about new ideas and innovation when it comes to the environment. From podcasts to YouTube videos, books to Facebook groups, we’re the first to jump on board and ride the sustainable wave. Let’s face it, we spend a scary amount of time on our smart phones nowadays, so we thought – why not download some apps that will actually help you live a greener lifestyle?

From shopping apps to authorities on sustainable fashion, letting you know which brands to avoid, and those you can trust, we’ve rounded up the best five on the market.

Now you can be more eco-friendly simply with a touch of a button.

1. Co-Go

Lifestyle

Co-Go is an app that puts you into contact with a whole range of businesses that share the same eco values as you, covering every part of your lifestyle. You begin by selecting what matters to you, choosing from the options: organic, carbon conscious, vegan, sustainable sourced, co-operative, fairly traded, living wage, reduces waste, cruelty free and supports charities. Then, once the app understands your values, you link up your payment card and you’re good to go. Using your location, Co-Go will suggest companies nearby who support the causes you’re interested in, like restaurants, supermarkets and even hairdressers. By linking your card up, you’re able to track your spending and watch how you have supported good sustainable businesses. Also the app is free, which just goes to show that living more responsibly won’t cost you a thing!

2. Good On You

Fashion

“We love clothes. But there are some skeletons in the closet that can’t be hidden.”

Good On You has arrived on the scene just when we need it most, and it’s here to make sustainable shopping easy. Supported by Emma Watson, and made up of fashion professionals, scientists, campaigners, writers and developers, the app helps you find fashion brands that embrace transparency and eco-friendly innovation. Good On You ranks each company’s labour standards and environment and animal conscience, explaining how and why they have graded each company. They even have articles suggesting sustainable trends you might want to invest in, like “Power Dressing: Our favourite Ethical Blazers”. This highly regarded app shows that you really can change the world through your clothes. Good On You is a fun expressive way of saving the planet!

3. Happy Cow

Veggie/Vegan Food

Since its inception in 1999, Happy Cow has been locating restaurants, cafes and grocery stores that comply with Veganism. Active in 195+ countries, the vegan community displays reviews and photos that help you select the perfect place for you. Through its interactive map, the app can even locate bakeries, coffee shops, health food stores, farmers markets, catering and juice bars! With the nifty filters like vegan, veggie, gluten-free and cuisine type, you can have the app cater to your own individual taste. It’s also the perfect companion to take travelling, as you can search for food in new areas you’ve never visited before – and even save places for when you’re abroad and your data’s turned off. Supported by many languages, Happy Cow makes clean, conscious eating stress-free.

As an extra bonus - the similar but smaller app ‘Vanilla bean plant-based food’ also locates vegan friendly fooderies and unlike Happy Cow’s £3.99 purchase fee, it’s free.

4. Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping

Palm oil awareness

The Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping app is just what you need on you at the supermarket, when you’re wondering whether your favourite products have that dreaded ingredient in them or not.

The app provides a quick product search option, where you can see if your favourite brands are rainforest friendly, or you can simply scan product barcodes whilst at the shops. Sub-categories are listed, such as foods, drinks, household and personal care, and even pet products, doing all the work for you. Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping lets you know exactly how a product is rated, from “needing improvement”, to “good”, to “excellent” – the red, yellow and green traffic light colours help alert you to the facts. You can also learn more about palm oil production and the damage it’s doing to the furry rainforest inhabitants we all love... We’ll definitely be using this with our next shop!

5. Good Guide

Lifestyle

10 years in the making, the Good Guide app allows you to search for safe, green and healthy consumer products based on trusted scientific ratings. By either scanning, searching or browsing on the app, you can identify the highest rated, cleanest and greenest products on the market, all scored from 1-10.

The app rates food, personal care and cleaning products too. More specifically, Good Guide helps identify products that can cause negative health effects or contain harmful chemicals and provides healthy alternatives – which is very handy. Essentially, it is designed to help you make better shopping decisions and teach you about slowly but surely changing your everyday habits, in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Trust us, you’re bound to recommend it to a friend, because once you’ve tried it, your shopping experience will never be the same again.

Words: Kiltie De Cleyn