For me, sustainability means investing in your own education. I personally still have a lot to learn when it comes to sustainable living. I am learning and getting inspired by other bloggers, scientists and sustainability experts each day – and with that, I’ve accepted that it will take time to rifle through all the information that are coming my way and find a way to be a better and more environmentally friendly version of myself.

As we all spend a significant amount of time on our phones looking for things, I’ve put together a list of applications, websites and resources I’m finding particularly helpful for my eco-journey. Here’s the good news: most of them are free.

Ultimately, all of the apps’ aim on my list is to empower each of us to make better educated and informed decisions regarding our purchases and daily habits. I hope you will find them helpful for your journey and treat them as a gateway to conscious living.

And without further ado:

Low waste living:

Refill: (Free with in-app purchases) Have you ever run out of water whilst on to go? Not anymore with this app. There is no need to buy bottled water once you have Refill. And that’s precisely why I think this is a brilliant app as it will tell you exactly where your nearest Refill Station is. You can not only track refill stations but you can also add some if it isn’t there already. I quite like this initiative as it gives you the opportunity to add value to it and create a great connection between the user and the mobile app itself. You can also make in-app purchases and buy a reusable bottle – if you don’t already own one. If you want to stop using single-use plastic and preventing our seas from plastic pollution, download this app now. 

Productivity:

Forest: (£1.99 🌱) There are so many productivity apps, but this one clearly makes me the most excited! Eek! This is a great solution for people who find it difficult not to be distracted by their phone all-the-time during studying or work! It is not only a wonderful investment of £1.99 but also a very unique and fun way to stay focused with potential real life consequences – the opportunity to plant new trees! Knowing that my actions could have real-life results make this app very appealing to me. Just let this sink in for a minute – planting real trees via an app! If you need a bit of a push to embrace slow living by focusing on what’s more important in your life, try and invest in Forest.

Flora: (Free) Similar to Forest, Flora’s concept has also been built around planting trees. The approach of this one is slightly different though, as it focuses on the social element of things embracing the importance of spending quality times with our loved ones – also offering group productivity sessions with your friends. You can really challenge yourself on this one and actually paying a real price for not being able to stay away from your phone and kill a tree. Incredible, isn’t it?Huh! On the contrary, you can only sign up if you have a Facebook account.

Slow fashion:

Good On You: I know, I know. This one isn’t really a new one from me and I probably sound like a broken record but I must emphasize how great this initiative is. I have not only discovered new brands, but also discovered the flaws of the old ones I’ve been supporting for years. I guess this is good news. I love Scandinavia and Nordic fashion and they definitely dominate this website. The site also has some pretty insightful articles about how ethical certain materials are – even ones I have never heard about before. If you are feeling a bit lost in the world of slow and sustainable fashion, give this one a go and read more about it here.

Cruelty-free beauty:

Cruelty-Cutter: (Free) Put your mind on ease when purchasing toiletries by using this innovative app with a built in scanner – Cruelty-Cutter will give you an immediate response about whether the item you want to purchase is cruelty-free or not. As they explain on their website the database they have links the scanned item’s barcode to company profiles which include information about their animal testing status. Voilá! There are a few gaps here and there, but I use this all the time. Cruelty-free shopping made simple.

What are your favourites?

B🌻