10 Earth Day apps and tips

Earth Day may be recognized only once a year, but there are ways to help Mother Earth every day through the use of mobile apps and the recycling of old devices.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans dispose of 152 million mobile devices each year; that’s 416,000 mobile devices each day! Yet, just 17.4 million (11 percent), of these will be collected for recycling.

AT&T makes recycling easier for wireless users. They can recycle their old devices by dropping them off at an AT&T-owned store. Or customers making a new device purchase can trade in their old device and receive an instant credit for the value of the trade-in. AT&T will then send in the old device to be reused or recycled. 

You also can use your phone to become more earth-friendly every day. Below are 10 free eco-conscious apps compiled by AT&T in honor of Earth Day. 

1.    Green Tips:  Looking to live a greener life? This app contains 150 helpful tips concerning energy consumption, water usage, transportation, waste, health, climate change and air pollution. (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

2.    iRecycle:  Don’t know what you can recycle? This app tells you how, where and when to recycle just about anything. It provides more than 1 million ways to recycle over 350 materials! It also can find a recycling solution near you by using the GPS function on your smartphone. (iOS, Android)

3.    Rippl:  Want to find ways to reduce your personal environmental footprint? The Rippl app helps you make simple, sustainable lifestyle choices by delivering weekly green living tips. Each tip comes with a customizable alert and is designed to conveniently help transform your habits, save you money and help you live a greener, healthier life by reducing your trash impact. (iOS)

4.    Good Guide:  Which laundry detergent is greenest? Which make-up has the fewest neurotoxins? The Good Guide app makes it fast and easy to find safe, healthy, green and ethical products. From baby shampoo to bathroom cleaner, this app provides health and social performance ratings for over 120,000 food, personal care and household products. And with barcode scanning, it’s easy to retrieve product ratings and information on your smartphone while you shop. (iOS, Android)

5.    PaperKarma:  Ever wonder how many trees are used for all the junk mail you receive and promptly throw out? This app lets you put an end to unwanted paper mail, cut your paper waste and help save the Earth. You simply pull out your smartphone, take a photo of the unwanted mail, tap “Unsubscribe,” and PaperKarma will automatically contact the mailer and remove you from their distribution list. PaperKarma can stop most unwanted mail that is addressed directly to you. (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

6.    WWF Together:  Need a little motivation to get inspired about the environment? This award-winning, interactive app from the World Wildlife Fund is sure to move you!  The app brings you closer to the stories of endangered animals, such as elephants, whales, rhinos, pandas and other fascinating species.  (iPad)

7.    Make Change. Not Waste:  This is a green living initiative that rewards Whole Foods Market® shoppers with coupons for green lifestyle actions, while raising awareness and donations to alleviate global poverty through the Whole Planet Foundation microcredit. Customers earn badges and coupons from a catalog of green lifestyle behaviors like using a reusable bag, biking to work and recycling. After completing 10 green actions, the customer can unlock one of more than seven coupons from leading green brands.  (iOS)

8.    Locavore:  This app provides an easy way to find seasonal, locally grown food by mapping farms and farmers’ markets near you and getting information on what’s in season. The app also provides an integrated social network where you can share photos and rate sellers.  (iOS, Android)

9.    PlugShare:  This app helps you find and share information about electric vehicle charging stations across the country, and lets you track charging station availability in real-time. (iOS, Android)

10. Krrb:  Some of us prefer recycled clothes and home furnishings. If you’re a thrift shopper, this hyper-local app lets you thrift, scavenge, rummage and discover local treasures at your doorstep or around the world.