Environmental efforts get backing from new wave of recycling apps and games.
Kermit the Frog sings, “It’s not that easy being green.” But nowadays, there’s an app for that.
Americans generate 243 million tons of waste per year and only recycle about a third. Hampering the effort is a gaggle of differing state and municipal recycling regulations and systems that leave even the most eco-conscious consumer wondering what to recycle – and where.
A new wave of recycling apps and games for smartphones and iPad and Android tablet computers is helping alleviate some of the confusion and create a culture – sometimes with a social-media spin – where recycling is second nature.
This new generation of apps comes in varying prices and formats – and serve different purposes. Some are games designed to educate children about the benefits of recycling. Others are informational apps for consumers and businesses.
“The more convenient you (make) recycling for people, the more likely they are to do it,” says Bob Hollis, director of the National Recycling Coalition. “Just like there’s a wide range of applications for everything, there’s a wide range of applications for recycling.”