Here’s a fact you may (or may not) already know: We don’t recycle enough here on campus! In fact, only about 35 percent of students on campus actually recycle! Why so few? There are so many reasons we give Mother Earth as to why we don’t recycle, the most popular being that we really are unsure as to what we can actually recycle (54 percent). This is followed by there being a lack of accessibility to recycling bins on campus (38 percent) and that we don’t know where we can recycle (23 percent), among many other obstacles that have gotten in our way.
No matter the reason, there is very little excuse for not trying to recycle. Not only does recycling help keep our environment clean, but it also saves money that could otherwise be added to your tuition bill! In today’s day and age, we have constant access to our phones, so why not use our phones for the good of the planet!
Here are five mobile apps that will not only help you learn to recycle but also motivate you to become a total eco-buff!
Eco Birds
Do you enjoy playing games on your phone? Do you enjoy egging people in the head? Do you want to save the planet in virtual reality? Then this game is for you! It’s fun because you get to play as a bird and try to stop evil villains from cutting down trees, polluting the oceans, and destroying the environment by dropping eggs on their heads and replanting trees! Eco Birds gets you in the mindset that environmental destruction is bad and you can help to bring it to a halt.
iRecycle
Earth911 is an organization that helps people all over the world learn more about recycling by providing ideas that are easy to implement. To help them spread this initiative further, they created the iRecycle app for iPhone and Android users. iRecycle helps you find accessible recycling locations in your area, and it suggests a ton of different ways to recycle materials (and what materials to recycle) that will surely delight any green guru!
Hammermill
Recycle Toss Do you know of the super addicting, mindless “Paper Toss” game app that we’ve all played for hours on end? Well, this is exactly that game, but for recycling! Practice your recycle bin shot and see if you have what it takes to master all the challenges Recycle Toss has to offer.
Recyclebank
Join the movement and get rewarded for recycling! Recyclebank gives its users so much more than just a pat on the back for recycling. In fact, this app helps you turn good actions (like recycling) into great deals! Recyclebank makes it super simple to find out what and how to recycle, and it rewards you for keeping those materials out of landfills with points – points that can be exchanged for great deals and prizes from local and national restaurants, retailers, grocery stores, and more!
Recycle or Die Free
This app is another fantastic and easy game that teaches you how you can contribute to keeping our environment clean. Recycle or Die (ROD) helps you learn what materials go in which cans by making you divide materials falling from the sky into the proper bins, thus saving our planet!
Ellie Blair, MSEM ’17, Environmental Health & Safety Intern