Problem: It is difficult for tourists to have access to information about environmentalism in foreign countries. According to Paige Mazoff:
During a recent trip to London, England, I realized how unaccessible environmentalism is to tourists in many popular cities. A lack of clarity on waste disposal, recycling/compost availability, and even a lack of guidance with regards to the sustainability of souvenir purchases had me thinking “Why isn't there a user-friendly app with environmental guides?".
While many 'green' apps outline generic tips for lowering emissions, there aren't any notable platforms that encourage tailored environmentalism for specific communities.
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Solution: This platform will work around the globe and when visiting new cities, it will steer you away from the most environmentally damaging services (fast-fashion, non-composting restaurants), and point you towards more sustainable alternatives.
This model would not only steer people away from businesses that are environmentally damaging but could also and maybe more importantly encourage businesses themselves to become more environmentally friendly and adapt to the consumers' needs.
For Example: John is a tourist from the US who is trying to be more conscious of his environmental impacts during a trip to Montreal. John's partner wants to go shopping, and John wants to take a stroll on the famous Mont Royal. John is reminded to refer to EnviGo, and is reminded of the unsustainable big-chain stores to avoid (H&M, Zara) and is pointed towards local businesses with clothing in the same budget. John is also notified that on Mont Royal, there is a lack of disposal bins, so he should hold onto, or not generate any waste during/before his trip.
There is certainly a huge need for a solution such as this one.
Here are some statistics given by Earthday.org:
The fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments a year and 87% of these will end up in a landfill or an incinerator ( approximately 40 million tons) with only 1% recycled.
The average person today buys 60 percent more items of clothing than they did 15 years ago, but keep them for only half as long. The average garment may be worn as few as ten times before disposal.
The apparel industry is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions – the same as the countries of Germany, France and the U.K. combined. Unchecked, fashion production would account for 26% of all carbon emissions by 2050.
Fashion is one of the most polluting of all industries. Clothing is manufactured with highly toxic dyes and heavy metals that are flushed into clean water streams, rivers and aquifers where they sicken people and animals, harm ecosystems, and cause biodiversity loss.
There are countless more, terrorizing statistics on their website, and this is only accounting for Fast Fashion, it’s leaving aside all the other benefits this app could bring regarding trash cans, waste, restaurants, bars, etc.
The main competitor to this company is Good Guide, which reviews specific products instead of businesses themselves (over 75,000 products to date). Oroeco takes a more personalized approach, but only provides very generic tips ie. high carbon footprint, take public transport.
According to Boston Consulting Group, some 70% of survey participants said they were more aware now than before COVID-19 that human activity threatens the climate and that degradation of the environment, in turn, threatens humans.
Monetization: Advertisements on the app (free for users)