We have our smartphones in our hands every day and use numerous apps in our daily routine. In this article, we want to show you that there's also a lot of potential for doing good here, quite incidentally, and introduce you to some great sustainable apps . Let's get started!
With Ecosia, you plant trees like a child's hand while browsing the internet. But what's behind the search engine, and how exactly does it work?
Unfortunately, we're all too familiar with the image of burning forests by now. Our forests are suffering as a result of global warming, and it's important that we take action on the other side and plant more new trees to counteract global warming.
Ecosia: the sustainable search engine
Ecosia has set itself the goal of planting a tree for every 45th search query . Ecosia is a search engine like any other, except that you can also do something good at the same time. Like its competitors, the search engine earns money through advertising. Unlike its competitors, Ecosia donates this revenue to tree-planting projects . Since its founding in 2010, the search engine operator has already managed to plant 66 million trees .
Google's competitor, "gexsi," has a somewhat broader range. The company has set itself the task of investing its advertising revenue from users in various projects that positively change the world.
Take, for example , the Hamburg-based cooperative "The Generation Forest." They manage tropical forests and offer you the opportunity to become co-owners of the forests that are reforested using cooperative capital.
Gexsi also supports educational sponsorships for children growing up in socially disadvantaged areas, providing access to energy in rural Africa, and supplying people with basic foodstuffs. You can learn more about the projects here !
Save food with Too Good To Go
With the app "Too Good To Go" you have the opportunity to save food.
According to statistics, around 18 million tons of food end up in the trash every year in Germany alone . Consumers throw away about 75 kilograms of food per capita annually. In total, that's food worth approximately 20 billion euros each year. Quite a lot, right?
Thanks to Too Good To Go, around 54,000,000 meals have been saved to date, thus saving 136,000 tons of CO2.
How does it work? You download the app and can then see which stores in your area have great food for sale at affordable prices. You can save food that would otherwise have ended up in the trash, saving money and doing something for the environment!
Get involved with LetsAct
For today's world changers there is the app "LetsAct" .
Whether it's environmental protection, education, or opportunities for those who need it most, with LetsAct you can make a difference, simply from your smartphone.
Discover social projects in your area and get involved. Whether it's a clean-up project, gardening, or cooking, LetsAct makes it possible for you to get involved in your favorite local project. Over 50,000 people are already actively making a difference in their own communities.
Are you in?
Avoid plastic with ReplacePlastic
Who hasn't experienced it? We go shopping and hold products in our hands, which gives the term "packaging madness" a new meaning. Have you ever wondered why some manufacturers wrap their products multiple times in plastic? Unnecessary, right? We agree! The following app gives you the opportunity to take action as a consumer.
With the app "ReplacePlastic," you now have the opportunity to express your dissatisfaction, right at the moment you hold the item in your hand.
By scanning the barcode on the item, you can use the app to send a message and tell the manufacturer that you, as a consumer, want less packaging.
ReplacePlastic transparently shows on its website which products have already been submitted and how many users are already actively using the app.
Food for Others
Having enough food is normal for most of us. A fully stocked fridge and a trip to the local supermarket to get your fill – completely normal. But we shouldn't forget that this isn't normal for many people (and animals too), and that in many places on this planet, the daily struggle for food is a daily occurrence! Want to do something good? We present you with three apps:
Share The Meal
How much money do you think it would take to feed a starving person on the other side of the world? We'll tell you, because it's just 70 cents!
ShareTheMeal is an initiative of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) – the largest non-profit organization fighting hunger.
The company stands for transparency and shows exactly where your donations are impacting. Every cent donated goes 100% to the project! In addition, measures are being taken to equip local people with the skills to be able to support themselves in the future.
While you're sitting at a lavishly laid table or at your favorite local restaurant, the app gives you the opportunity to share the joy of a full plate with a single click. For just 70 cents.
Feed a dog / Feed a cat
The apps "Feed a Dog" and "Feed a Cat" offer a similar principle. Here, you can give a meal to a four-legged friend of your choice with a self-determined donation. For just 1 euro , a dog or cat will be fed for a day!
Your donation will go to a certified animal welfare organization in Germany or Europe. In addition to a one-time donation, you can also choose to sponsor a food project of your choice to support it long-term.
The cool thing is that you can decide exactly where your donation should go in the app. Perhaps there's a charity near you that you'd like to support with your food donation?
Shopping and doing good
We shop every day. Whether it's for groceries, clothing, or other consumables, what if you could do something good with every purchase, at no extra cost?
The Gooding app makes this possible. Over 1,500 well-known shops are already part of the movement. Find your shop via Gooding and shop. By opening the shop with the help of Gooding and shopping there, you'll receive a bonus of 5% of your purchase value.
Gooding then passes this bonus directly to a charity of your choice. There are over 7,000 projects and organizations to choose from.
We hope to present you with a diverse selection of apps that could help you make a difference in your everyday life. Are there any more apps we might not have heard of yet? Let us know in the comments!
