Most people these days are aware of the need for environmental protection. And many have taken steps within their own lives to reduce their carbon footprint. Some have purchased hybrid, electric, or alternative-fuel vehicles, some have made the switch to organic produce, animal products, and other foodstuffs, and some have installed solar panels, wind turbines, or geothermal heating in their homes. But for those that aren’t quite so committed to the process there are easier ways to do your part. Many people conserve water and energy by installing low-flow toilets and aerated faucets and purchasing energy-star appliances and programmable thermostats. But for most, the easiest place to start is with recycling. However, if you’ve been recycling cans and bottles for a while now, you might be interested to know what other trash you could be keeping out of the landfill. And this is where the iRecycle app can help you.

You can download this app for free to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and immediately find new information on recycling. You might be surprised to learn just how many ways to make your home more sustainable and eco-friendly through recycling. In fact, the app claims to provide more than 1.5 million ways to recycle over 300 different types of materials, from obvious categories like glass, plastic, discount hearing aids, paper and metal to things you might not necessarily think about recycling like automotive and construction materials. Thanks to the Recycling Dictionary you can select a broad category and find myriad methods of recycling associated items. But it’s not enough to know what you can save from a fate in the landfill; you also need to know where to take it.

iRecycle also provides users with listings for recycling centers. All you have to do is enter your current location to find businesses near you that engage in recycling. As you may know, many recycling centers will take only certain products, so as well as finding out where these operations are located, you’ll also receive information on the types of materials they accept (as well as a map, directions, contact information, and hours of operation). You don’t even have to put in your city, state, or zip code (although you can); you can simply let the GPS on your smartphone or tablet find the centers that are nearest you at any given time.

And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also have access to content provided by Earth911.com, including articles published daily on a range of environmental topics, from the amount of trash going to the landfill each year, to natural fertilizers, to eco-friendly jobs. So while iRecycle will certainly give you a lot of information on the recycling front, it can also make you aware of greener lifestyle choices and even guide you to solar energy or environmental law careers, just for example. As Kermit the Frog famously quipped, “It’s not easy being green.” But this is one app that can help you take your environmentally friendly sensibilities to the next level without too much hassle.

Editor’s Note

Thanks to Evan Fischer for this guest post. He is a freelance writer and part-time student at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.

[appext 312708176]