Apple iPhone Apps That Make You Greener

Yeah, we know, “green IT” is a popular marketing concept these days. Every company has some aspect of their product or service that helps the environment. On Apple’s App Store, however, developers are thinking of new ways applications can help you be a more mindful denizen of planet earth. Here’s a selection of green apps that might make you to a better steward of this little blue marble spinning through space.

By Nathan Eddy

Recycling is a pain, isn’t it? Special bags, special bins, all that sorting. the list goes on and on. iRecycle makes it easy to find recycling centers across the U.S. where you can find places to drop off your recyclables (100,00 in all) and it will give you directions to the nearest site. You now have one less reason to drop your bottles in the trash. You’re welcome.

Drawing from the resources of your local ‘hood is almost always a pleasant experience, never more so when it comes to food. After automatically determining what state you live in, Locavore allows you to discover the food that’s in season near you, farmers’ markets in the area, and links to articles on health eating as well as recipes. Dig in.

This lifestyle app gives you tips on how to live a more efficient lifestyle, such as purchasing a notebook instead of a desktop in order to save more energy. Your Green status changes as your earn more green tips, allowing you to make your friends, well, green with envy as you reduce you impact on the environment.

Ok, so it’s not exactly free, but this app gives you a book’s worth of tips and tricks to reduce your environmental impact in all areas of life, with anecdotes from green (we hope) celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Will Ferrell (pictured) and Justin Timberlake.

Walking to where you need to go may not always be the quickest option, but it’s a zero impact mode of transportation, and who knows, you may stumble upon a farmer’s market in the meantime. Walk Score uses GPS technology to determine the most walkable neighborhoods, based on the walkability of locations and a map of nearby amenities, as well as providing reviews and ratings.

For the working woman on the go, this app provides money saving environmental tips, from chemicals to avoid to important products to buy organically. Thanks to bestseller author Sophie Uliano, who provides the tips, staying gorgeously green has never been easier-and never had such a refined feminine touch.

For the friends of the sea among us, this app, created by the non-profit Monterey Bay Aquarium, recommends sustainable seafood choices, from restaurants to local markets. Regional guides highlight what seafood is best in each area of the country, and it includes a sushi guide as well.

While not the cheapest app out there, the greenMeter application packs a punch: It computes your vehicle’s power and fuel usage characteristics and evaluates your driving to increase efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cost. Results are displayed in real time, although if you drive a Hummer, the application just laughs at you.

For environmental news junkies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) News Reader is your best bet for keeping up to date on EPA news. You can read up in landscape or portrait mode and share stories with friends and coworkers. Categories include energy, radiation and (yeah!) hazardous waste.

How much electrical energy do you use? Green Outlet helps you figure that out by identifying which of your household appliances are costing the most to run, and calculating your carbon footprint. While not for the faint of heart (“faint of heart applying to those who keep TiVo running day and night), this app helpfully connects you to TerraPass.com, where you can buy a carbon offset which goes to support clean energy.