Technology and sustainability can go hand in hand. Discover the best Eco-Friendly apps that will help you plan a greener trip!
We all want to care for the
environment and help preserve our wild places, but sometimes it can be
difficult to know where to begin. While technology doesn’t have all the
answers, in certain circumstances it can really come in handy along the
journey. That’s why, in this article, we’ll be taking a look at the best apps for eco-friendly traveler success.
From planning a trip that’s
sensitive to your carbon footprint to creating new eco-conscious habits, we’ll take a look at some of the top ‘Green’
apps out there for both iOS and Android users. Along with that, you’ll get
special insight into our top ten tips for how to be an environmentally
responsible tourist in Iceland.
Apps That Help You Travel Sustainably
Green Globe
Find app for certified
sustainable travel services worldwide
First up is Green Globe, an
app that allows users to search for ethical and sustainable travel and tourism
businesses all around the world, including hotels, resorts, tours and even
conference centers. There’s no doubt that travel can be a force for good in the
world, and this app helps you make more sustainable choices no matter where you
are headed.
Ailuna
Create lasting eco-friendly habits with this fun and engaging app
Ailuna is a free app that
prompts users to take on various eco-dares. Each dare is focused on a different
lifestyle change that helps to support the environment. It features things like
saving more water or attempting to eliminate overspending, thus avoiding
over-consumption of natural resources.
Each
dare takes about a week to complete, with reminders and push notifications
popping up on your phone regularly to prompt you towards the challenge. The
background research and design follow behavioral science principles, so you
should have a higher chance of forming new positive habits if you see each dare
through.

JouleBug
An app for the competitive eco-warrior This is another great app
for encouraging eco-conscious lifestyle changes. The JouleBug app lists dozens
of different ways that we can help to reduce negative impacts on the
environment, detailing exactly how to pursue the changes and then motivating
the user via a points system.
You can connect the app to
your social feeds to show off your eco credentials to friends and followers,
perhaps even encouraging others to follow suit. JouleBug will also show you the
impact that your eco-efforts have made on the earth. For example, reducing your
carbon footprint and water use or diverting waste from landfills.
Happy Cow
Track down all the best places eco-conscious places to eat, drink and shop with this handy appThis vegetarian and vegan
app is pretty well established and employs user reviews for recommendations.
You’ll find everything on here, from cafés and restaurants to food trucks and
wholefoods shops, so tracking down vegetarian or plant-based options won’t be
an issue in Iceland. Not to mention all information is usually very accurate
and useful with opening hours and directions of each locale.
A free version is available for all users, or if you’d
rather search advert free, you can opt to pay a small fee. The latter version
also grants access to further user reviews which can be helpful to scroll
through on your food journey. .

Too Good To Go
An app to help reduce food waste for businesses Founded in 2015, the free, eco-friendly app Too Good to Go has
been a sensation in Europe and around the world ever since. The app allows users to search for nearby
businesses with cut-price food for sale, as both restaurants and shops bag up
and list items that they need to use up before closing. The products are always
perfectly edible and of good quality, yet are simply surplus to the day’s
requirement- hence the name ‘Too Good to Go!’
The business will pack up
the food in what is referred to as a ‘Magic Bag’, then users simply click and
collect it at a bargain price. The fun bit is that you never know exactly what
you are going to find in the bag, so it really is a potluck dinner every time.
Karma
Shop for fresh food on the edge of its sell-by date This app works in a very
similar way to ‘Too Good To Go’ mentioned above, as its functionalities allow
food businesses to list and sell their products for pickup. The only difference
is that with Karma, you get to choose exactly what you want! Products are
usually around half price if they have short lifespans. This is ideal when
you’re really hungry and know you will eat the meal before it goes bad.

Olio
An app to help reduce food waste in IcelandThis is a fabulous app for
reducing food waste for both businesses and individuals, active in both
Hafnarfjörður and Reykjavík. It
differs from the two above in that it offers a tangible way for households to
reduce their waste, by allowing people to give their leftover food away to
others.
This one works well if you are going on holiday and have a
fridge full of fresh food, for example. It is great for anyone planning a road trip in Iceland, as all the
leftovers you can’t keep can be given away to a good home.
How to be a responsible tourist in Iceland
In addition to making good
use of these eco-friendly traveler apps, there’s still more you could do to
travel greener. Here are our top eight tips for eco-conscious travel in
Iceland.
1. Stay longer – to make the most of your air travel carbon footprint,
choose to stay for as long as possible in Iceland. Fewer trips trump long hauls
when it comes to being environmentally friendly.
2. Offset your carbon footprint when flying – Flying is a big polluter, but you can counterbalance
this by giving to carbon-busting organizations. There is a great one based in
Iceland working to restore native wetlands that naturally store carbon.
3. Visit during the low season – Ease the pressure on Iceland’s natural habitats and
road infrastructure by travelling during the low season. The majority of
visitors tour Iceland between June and August. So, if you can, try to visit in
the low season months instead.
4. Travel slow – If you are renting a car in Iceland, take things slow. Rather than rushing around ticking
sights off a list, relax your pace a bit. Enjoy lots of time hiking and
sightseeing outside and less time behind the wheel.
5. Drive steady – Take it easy in your rental car. Drive steadily without
hitting the gas too hard and you’ll save on fuel. Not only is this better for
the environment, but it’s easier on your pocket too.
6. Respect Iceland’s landscapes – As you walk or drive around Iceland, you’ll see signs asking you to stick to the designated
roads and paths. This is really important for the conservation of Iceland’s
natural flora and fauna. Iceland’s ground-covering vegetation, like moss, is
very delicate and slow-growing. Therefore, sticking strictly to footpaths and
off of the verges keeps it safe for all to enjoy.
7. Travel with reusable water bottles – The tap water in Iceland is some of the best and most
fresh in the world. As such, it should be easy to avoid buying bottled water
and other drinks in favor of the pure Icelandic H2O. After all, refilling your
own water bottles is beneficial for the environment and for your travel budget.
8. Shop and eat local – Where you can, enjoy locally produced food and drinks.
This is less limiting than you may think, as nowadays Iceland grows a lot more
of its own food. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and even bananas come to life
inside glasshouses heated by geothermal energy.
As you can see, there is always a simple and easy way to
contribute. At Reykjavík Cars, we are
gradually incorporating hybrid and electric cars into our fleet to help you
make your trip a little more eco-friendly. Together we have the power to reach
new heights!