10 free apps to help you cut waste this Global Recycling Day

Good news. This week, on Friday 18 March, it’s Global Recycling Day 2022. It’s a day all about taking time to recognise the huge part recycling plays in keeping our planet healthy.

Why’s recycling so important? Well, it’s estimated that each year, the recyclables help save over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions worldwide. And, according to stats from 2019, in the UK alone, each person produces around 392 kg of household waste per year.

So, to help you celebrate Global Recycling day 2022, we’ve come up with some ways to help you make a difference this year, all from the palm of your hand. Grab your mobile and get ready to evaporate that waste with these 10 free apps.

Great apps for food waste

1. Too good to go

Imagine collecting a ‘Magic Bag’ of delicious (cheap) treats from your favourite cafés and restaurants, and helping the planet at the same time. Too Good To Go is the ultimate way to eat like a king without paying the price.

To help explain how it works, here’s beloved giffgaffer ray2:

“Too Good To Go offers you a Magic Bag of food for £2, £3 or £4 that would otherwise have been binned. I tried it out at our local BP garage which has a Marks & Spencer inside, and I received three baguettes, two sandwiches, fruit, yoghurts, sausage rolls and scotch eggs, plus two big bags of crisps for £4!”

Download Too good to go free on iOS and Android.

2. Karma

Earn some good karma by rescuing discounted food from local restaurants, cafés and grocery stores before it goes off. It’s like Too Good To Go, except you can pick what you buy. A great alternative if you’re not a fan of surprises.

Download Karma free on iOS and Android.

3. Olio

So you’re off on a last-minute holiday, but you’ve just done the weekend shop. With Olio, nothing in your fridge will go to waste. Wave goodbye to that last yoghurt, those chicken kievs and the punnet of strawberries. Your Olio neighbours have got you covered.

Download Olio free on iOS and Android.

4. Kitche

This clever app can help you make delicious meals out of your odds and ends. Simply tell Kitche what you’ve got and unlock a list of delicious recipes to try. Leftovers have never been so tasty!

Download Kitche free on iOS and Android.

Top apps for second-hand clothes

5. Vinted

Give your old clothes a second life while making some extra cash. List your second-hand clothes and sell fast with no fees. Then choose the closest courier and bam, more space, more money, zero waste.

Download Vinted free on iOS and Android.

6. Depop

One for the trend-setters. Depop is all about unique, one-of-a-kind fashion. Discover your new look and connect with tonnes of independent sellers you wouldn’t find on the high street. Goodbye fast fashion, hello style.

Download Depop free on iOS and Android.

Apps to clear up your clutter

7. Ziffit

Turn your phone into a clutter-clearing, money-making machine with Ziffit. Sell all your old DVDs, CDs, games and books. They’ll even send a car to collect your clutter from your door.

Download Ziffit free on iOS and Android.

8. Shpock

Got too much stuff? Whatever you’ve got, Shpock can help you shift it. From games consoles to cocktail dresses, road bikes to garden sheds. Sell your stuff and bag a bargain, all from one easy app.

Our keen green member, kath72, has even more suggestions for clothes recycling:

“I use apps like Gumtree, Marketplace, Freecycle and a local Facebook group so that things I don’t need any more can go to someone who will use them rather than to the dump.”

Download Shpock free on iOS and Android.

Apps for when you’re out and about

9. Refill

Ditch the single-use plastic and connect with hundreds of free water refill stations across the UK. Refill can also show you places to top up your coffee cup or take your own lunch box at a discount, saving you money while you help the planet.

Download Refill free on iOS and Android.

10. Zipcar

The UKs most popular car sharing club, Zipcar connects you with over 3,000 cars and vans. It’s simple and smart. Plus, with thousands of electric cars available, it’s a greener choice too. So you can live the city life without worrying about your carbon footprint.

Download Zipcar free on iOS and Android.

You can recycle phones too

And it’s not just downloading these great apps where your phone can help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. If you’re looking to upgrade your phone soon, don’t forget to check out refurbished options out there.

To help with recycling and the circular economy of phones, giffgaff buys and sells second-hand phones.

You can get money for your old devices at giffgaffrecycle.com. Or check out our great range of refurbished phones and save yourself some money. With your help we can build a more sustainable world together.

Got some app tips of your own?

We hope you liked our list of apps to help reduce waste and recycle. But if you’ve got some others you’d like to share with us and like-minded members, then share it in our awesome Community.