Guide • April 17, 2013

Earth Day Guide 2013

10 apps and sites to be a little greener

Reforest Patagonia

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In the past century, forest fires have destroyed millions of acres of Patagonia. For $4 you can plant a tree to reforest the area and get a Google map of it’s location to show it off to your friends.

Reforest Patagonia
Ataku Fake Shower

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This app emulates the sound of a shower or faucet (to prevent significant others from “hearing the sounds of nature in the bathroom,” as the app puts it) and informs you how much water is being saved.

Go to Ataku Fake Shower
Epicurious Peak-Season Map

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The environmental and culinary merits of eating local are well documented, so use this map to figure out what’s in season in your area and how to cook it.

Go to Epicurious Peak-Season Map
WWF Together

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There’s no better way to get inspired about the environment than to see the stories of how endangered animals are affected it on this app from the World Wildlife Fund.

Go to WWF Together
Good Guide

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Lots of products say they’re green. This tool shows you which ones mean it. Search the site for items or scan product barcodes with the app to see how environmentally sound they really are.

Go to Good Guide
Hope Phones

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Half a million cell phones (made of non-biodegradable materials) are trashed each day in the U.S. This charity turns old devices into donations to aid health workers in impoverished countries.

Go to Hope Phones
Ecosia

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Search engines really rake in the dough, but imagine if all that money went to worthy causes? This search engine donates more than 80% of its revenue to protecting the rain forest.

Go to Ecosia
iRecycle

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If recycling is so important, why’s it so hard to find the right bins? Let this app teach you how and where to recycle everything from light bulbs to televisions. It’s your guide to responsible trashing.

Go to iRecycle
Zimride

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Carpooling is great for the environment, but what if nobody you know is headed your way? Catch a ride with a like-minded stranger on this ridesharing site.
Krrb

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They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and considering all the cool stuff on this local thrift classifieds app, we’d say they’re right on the money.

Go to Krrb