Best Recycling Apps for iPhone
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Not all of us practice this, but recycling should be an essential part of our lives. With the amount of waste each household produces every year, it's important that we find ways to help our planet by recycling as much as we can.
Of course, it's easier said than done. Learning more about recycling can be difficult if you don't know where to start, and building a new habit can also be challenging.
Luckily, we don't have to do it alone; we have our iPhones with us. Believe it or not, there are dozens of recycling apps you can download to your iPhone to get you started.
With so many options, it can be hard to know which one is best for you. That's why we've gathered some of the best picks. Read on for 10 recycling apps to help you get started and teach you how to dispose of your trash.
iRecycle
iRecycle is a simple but powerful app that helps you find recycling opportunities near you. It's also one of the best apps for learning how to recycle different materials.
This app boasts over one million ways to recycle up to 350 different materials. If that's not enough, the app also teaches you different ways to separate your waste so it's easier to recycle, making it a great app for beginners.
It also shows statistics on how much you've helped the environment. It'll show you how much water, electricity, and other resources you've saved by recycling.
Recycle! - Collection calendar
One of the challenges of starting to recycle is knowing where to dispose of your recycled materials. Luckily, an app like Recycle! can help you with that.
This app is a collection calendar that shows you the best collection times in your area. You can filter the different types of collection places near you so you can find the best one for you. Inside the app, you'll find the location of the best collection places, as well as their opening and closing hours, so you know when you should go.
If you're still not used to recycling, this app can send you notifications every day to remind you that you need to recycle your waste at a specific time of the month.
Like other options on the list, it comes with a sorting guide, which makes recycling easier.
Recycle Coach
As we mentioned, building the habit of recycling can be tough, but you don't have to do it alone. You can use apps like Recycle Coach.
This app can teach you how to recycle in the most efficient way possible and send notifications to remind you to recycle during the day.
It also has some cool extra features, like a calendar to tell you when it's collection day. However, some of these features will only work if your municipality or government actively participates in the app.
If not, Recycle Coach still has other guides to help you understand how to sort waste and even weekly polls, quizzes, or blog posts to learn more about recycling.
Recycling Bank
Recycling Bank is a great app that will help you save the environment and maybe earn some money along the way.
Instead of just showing when and where you can dispose of your waste, the app helps you sort and sell your waste with the official people behind Recycling Bank.
Once you've sorted it, you can mark the type of waste you have and then request a pickup. The app will let you know when an agent will come pick up your waste, and after they pick it up, you'll receive money on the app.
You can then transfer that money to your bank account, or if you're feeling generous, you can donate it inside the app. Of course, you won't become a millionaire with this app, but it might be a more exciting way of handling your trash.
Ridwell
Ridwell is a fantastic app with the goal of making recycling easier than ever.
You can set up a pickup time for the app, and someone will pick up the waste for you. The app's developers can also give you special bags so you can recycle harder items without much trouble.
After you've sent your waste, you can open the app to see your positive impact on your community. You can also share this information with your friends or family so they know how easy helping can be.
You can also use the app to know where your trash is going and how you're helping.
Unfortunately, this app isn't free or available everywhere. You'll need to check beforehand to see if Ridwell works for you. Moreover, it costs up to $18, but it's a small price to pay for helping the planet.
Scrapp - Recycling made simple
Scrapp is a pretty complete app that takes a different approach to recycling: It gives you all the data you need based on a product's bar code.
You can scan any product, and it will instantly tell you what it is and how to dispose of it. You'll get instructions on how to recycle or even if you have to recycle it at all.
After you've recycled your waste, you can track it with your app to see how much impact you've made on the world.
Additionally, if you want to take it one step further, the app can also show you different brands that are more sustainable. The best products for the planet will have a green verification icon to let you know they are better for the environment.
Unfortunately, this app isn't available everywhere. It only works in the UK — England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island — and certain parts of the US — California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
With that said, if you're not in any of these places, you can still use the app to get general tips on recycling.
Grow Recycling
Grow Recycling isn't an app, and it's probably not for you. That said, it's the perfect mobile game to help your children learn more about recycling.
This simple game's goal is to teach kids how recycling works so they can start when they're young, a type of education many of us didn't get growing up.
The app shows the whole recycling process and lets kids sort items in different places. After they sort, they can see where the waste goes and how it can be used to create new products.
The best part is that the kids will control the machines in the game, so they'll technically be the ones who are recycling. It's a pretty simple game that can teach a valuable lesson.
Horizon Sustainability Scanner
The Horizon Sustainability Scanner, as you can probably guess, is a barcode scanner that will teach you how to dispose of your waste. You can also use it at the store, so you know which products you should buy and which ones you should avoid.
The app also teaches you more about the products and how wasteful their ingredients are. For instance, when you buy food, you can see the ingredients used and how positively or negatively they impact the environment.
Another cool feature is that it also shows you how to store your food properly so it lasts longer.
Olio
The Olio app is a different type of recycling app for your iPhone. Instead of recycling waste, you'll be recycling food or other household items that you no longer need.
The app lets you interact with other users in your area. You can use it to get rid of food you don't need that's still in good condition, or you can find other items you might need that others are giving away.
For instance, you can find items you use at home and even kids' toys. You can also chat with other users so you know what you're getting or who you're giving your stuff to.
In addition to users near you, you can talk with other Olio users to learn more about how to handle your waste.
Too Good To Go: End Food Waste
Too Good To Go is similar to Olio. But instead of just sharing food with other people, you can buy food from nearby stores.
In case you didn't know, many restaurants end up with a lot of food at the end of the day — food that's not bad but might go to waste because restaurants can't keep old food in-store.
Because of this, the Too Good To Go app works to avoid this type of waste by letting you contact these restaurants and buy food from them. You can find prepared food from a restaurant or fruits or vegetables from a store.
The best part is that you'll save money while still eating good food. On the other hand, companies will get to sell more food that they thought would go to waste. It's a win-win situation.
Recycling Made Easy
Recycling might be difficult to embrace, but it's incredibly necessary. Not only will you help yourself by not wasting so many items at home, but you'll also have a positive impact on the planet.
And the best part is that all of these apps are here to help you. You can use these apps to learn more about recycling, learn how you can dispose of your waste, and maybe even make or save some money in the process.
It's worth noting that not every app on the list is available worldwide. The good news is that they're free to download, so check them out and see if they're useful to you.