Living more sustainably doesn’t have to cost more. In fact, the best eco-friendly habits usually save you money: buying second-hand, wasting less food, borrowing instead of buying, and repairing what you already own.
The right apps make all of this much easier. Here are the best sustainable living apps in the UK, grouped by what you want to do - and how each one helps your budget as well as the planet.
Sustainable living apps at a glance
| What you want to do | Apps to try | How it saves you money |
|---|---|---|
| Waste less food | Too Good To Go, Olio | Discounted surplus food, or free food from neighbours |
| Shop second-hand | Ganddee, Vinted, eBay | Pre-loved clothes, furniture and homeware for a fraction of the price |
| Get things for free | Freegle, Trash Nothing | Free items from people near you |
| Borrow and rent | Library of Things, Hygglo, By Rotation, HURR | Rent for a day instead of buying something you’ll rarely use |
| Repair and refurbish | Repair cafés, Back Market | Fix what you own, or buy refurbished tech with a warranty |
| Cut plastic | Refill | Free tap water refills instead of bottled water |
| Shop more ethically | Good On You | Helps you buy fewer, better things |
Apps to waste less food
Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go lets you buy surplus food from cafés, bakeries, supermarkets and restaurants at a discount, so it doesn’t get thrown away. You reserve a “Surprise Bag” in the app, then collect it at a set time - you won’t know exactly what’s inside until you pick it up.
Big UK names take part. Greggs, for example, sells its surplus through the app in over 2,000 shops. Worldwide, Too Good To Go says it has saved more than 500 million meals.
How it saves you money: Bags cost much less than the value of the food inside.
Olio
Olio connects neighbours to share surplus food and household items for free. Post what you don’t need, or browse what’s available near you, and arrange a collection.
Olio’s volunteer Food Waste Heroes also collect unsold food from partner businesses - including supermarkets and coffee chains - and list it on the app for free.
How it saves you money: Most food and items on Olio are completely free.
Apps to shop second-hand
Ganddee
Buying second-hand is one of the easiest ways to live more sustainably - and one of the best ways to save money. Ganddee is a free app that maps charity shops, vintage and second-hand shops, car boot sales and flea markets across the UK and Ireland.
Use it to find charity shops near you, check opening times, and see which car boot sales are on this weekend.
How it saves you money: Charity shops and car boot sales are some of the cheapest places to buy clothes, books, homeware and furniture - with no postage or buyer fees.
Vinted, eBay and other resale apps
For buying and selling online, Vinted is the UK’s biggest app for second-hand clothes, and eBay is still the go-to for almost everything else. Selling what you no longer use keeps it in circulation and puts money back in your pocket.
We’ve compared the fees and features of each in our guide to the best second-hand apps in the UK.
Apps to get things for free
Freegle and Trash Nothing
Freegle is a UK network of local volunteer-run groups where people give away things they no longer need - furniture, garden tools, baby gear and more. Trash Nothing brings Freecycle, Freegle and other local reuse groups together in one app.
How it saves you money: Everything is free. You just collect it.
Apps to borrow and rent
Library of Things
Why buy a drill or a carpet cleaner you’ll use twice a year? Library of Things lets you borrow useful household items - from tools to party gear - from self-service lockers, mostly in London. Book online, collect from a locker, and bring it back when you’re done. It offers a concession rate for anyone who needs it.
Hygglo (formerly Fat Llama)
Hygglo is a peer-to-peer rental platform: rent cameras, camping gear, tools and more from people near you, or earn money by renting out your own things. It merged with the UK rental app Fat Llama.
By Rotation and HURR
Need an outfit for a wedding or a party? Rent it instead. By Rotation is a peer-to-peer app where people rent out clothes from their own wardrobes. HURR lets you rent designer pieces for a fraction of the retail price.
How it saves you money: Renting for a day or a week costs far less than buying something you’ll rarely use.
Apps to repair and refurbish
Repair cafés
Repair cafés are free community events where volunteers help you fix broken electricals, clothes, bikes and more. Many towns have one - search online for a repair café near you, or check your local council’s website. For tips on fixing things yourself, read our ultimate repair guide.
Back Market
When something really can’t be fixed, buying refurbished is the next best thing. Back Market sells professionally refurbished phones, laptops and tablets, with at least a 12-month warranty and 30 days to return.
How it saves you money: Repairing is usually far cheaper than replacing, and refurbished tech costs less than new.
Apps to cut plastic
Refill
Refill, from the charity City to Sea, shows you where you can refill your water bottle for free - in cafés, shops, train stations and public fountains across the UK.
How it saves you money: No more buying bottled water on the go.
Apps to shop more ethically
Good On You
When you do buy new, Good On You helps you check how fashion and beauty brands rate on their impact on people, the planet and animals. Look up a brand, see its rating, and find better-rated alternatives.
How it saves you money: Thinking before you buy usually means buying less - and buying things that last.
Sustainable living apps: FAQs
What is the best app for sustainable living in the UK?
It depends on what you want to change. Too Good To Go and Olio are best for cutting food waste. Ganddee, Vinted and eBay are best for shopping second-hand. Library of Things and Hygglo are great for borrowing instead of buying.
Can sustainable apps really save you money?
Yes. Most of the apps above either sell things for less (surplus food, second-hand, refurbished tech), give them away for free (Olio, Freegle), or let you rent instead of buying.
Are there free sustainable living apps?
Yes. Ganddee, Olio, Freegle, Trash Nothing, Refill and Good On You are all free to download and use.
What’s the easiest way to start living more sustainably?
Start with second-hand. Find charity shops near you, and read Charity Shops 101 for tips on finding the best pieces.
Small changes add up. Download a couple of these apps, start with the habits that suit you, and you’ll cut waste and save money at the same time.
Related guides
- The Best Second-Hand Apps in the UK: Where to Buy and Sell Pre-Loved
- Charity Shops 101: 5 Top Tips for Scoring Second-Hand Gems
- Repairing Our Broken Things: The Ultimate Repair Guide
- The Case For Sustainable Homeware
- Clothing Collective: Making Charity Shopping More Inclusive
