The apps that can help you live a sustainable lifestyle

Alix O’Neill spent a week using Giki, an app which helps to make your weekly shop more ethical 
Matt Writtle
Alix Oneill24 May 2018

I'm standing in the veg aisle of my local supermarket faced with an ethical conundrum. The mushrooms I’m holding have a low carbon footprint but the packaging is non-recyclable. If I buy the mushrooms, I’ll be doing my bit for climate change while simultaneously screwing over the sea turtles.

I figure the ecological implications of a hotter planet are graver than plastic pollution, but again: sea turtles. I don’t want to be the person who has an anxiety attack over fungi in Waitrose, so I leave empty-handed.

Seasonal, organic, eco-friendly — it’s cool to care (To an extent — so committed is my friend’s flatmate to ocean conservation that she’s plastic-shaming her roomie by lining up empty yoghurt pots outside her bedroom).

I’ve always been a fairly conscious consumer. I use canvas bags and buy Fairtrade where possible. But with a busy job and a six-month-old to look after, I have less time to research the greenest options.

Alex O'Neill tries out the consumer app Giki
Matt Writtle

So when I heard about a new app that promotes mindful consumption without the hassle, I was intrigued.

Launched last week, Giki assesses a product’s sustainability, health and fairness credentials by awarding it up to 12 “badges”: organic, recyclable packaging, local (UK made), low carbon footprint, responsibly sourced, no chemicals of concern, free from additives, healthier, animal welfare, no animal testing, greener cosmetics and kinder cleaning. Users scan a product’s barcode to get its ratings in each category. Where a product scores poorly, alternatives are suggested.

“We’re increasingly concerned about what we put into our bodies and our impact on the environment,” says Jo Hand, who created Giki with her husband James. “Whether it’s a programme on deforestation or a story about the latest food additive, when these issues surface you see the depth of interest. What we do about these challenges when we’re standing in the supermarket aisle is much harder.”

There are more than 250,000 products on the app, both branded goods and own-brand labels from mainstream supermarkets including Waitrose, Co-op, Asda and Sainsbury’s. Pack information, government guidelines and scientific research are added to a database which algorithmically scores product against all the badge options.

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The first product I put to the test is a posh pesto I buy regularly. I’m shocked to find it scores one out of five badges. Apparently it has some nasty additives and is high in salt and saturated fat.

I have more luck with Weetabix. You can keep your acai bowls — this old-school favourite clocks up recyclable, low carbon and local badges, plus it’s healthy and free from additives. I spend the next few days in a scanning frenzy. If a healthier or more ethical alternative is available I’ll switch. The only time I ignore the app’s advice is when it comes to cleaning products. Sadly, eco-friendly options tend to require more elbow grease than I’m willing to expend.

I’m also sceptical when Giki awards Whole Earth peanut butter three out of six badges, despite it being made from sustainable palm oil. Turns out it’s high in fat, with a medium salt and sugar content. Surely natural foods are better than processed low-fat options?

One could say scanning a barcode to determine a product’s ethical and sustainable standards is a reductionist approach to complex issues. But Giki’s creators say it’s about encouraging consumers to put pressure on brands to be more transparent.

On the last day of my trial, determined to find the ultimate lean, green product, I hit the jackpot. Step forward Yeo Valley, a yoghurt so virtuous, so non-polluting, even my friend’s flatmate would approve. It’s taken seven days of scanning but it goes to show — a little Giki-ness goes a long way.

Five other ethical apps

efill

Helps you find water bottle refilling

stations near you so that you don’t have to buy plastic bottles.

Farmdrop

Delivers ethically sourced food fresh from farm to your front door. Uses electric delivery vans, paper bags and fully compostable carriers.

Karma

Find leftover food from restaurants including Aubaine and Hummus Bros for half the regular price.

Happy Cow

Helps you find a local veggie or vegan restaurant worldwide.

£3.99, happycow.net

Greenease

An index of restaurants that buy local and/or offer sustainable food options.

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