#Bye2019 – What We Learned This Year About Tech4Good: 8 Apps That Make The World A Better Place

Every single day we learn about a new app. But over 2019, there were some that stood out to us for making a positive impact. From making the world a less wasteful place to improving the quality of life and supporting individual wellbeing, here are the 7 apps we thought deserved a spotlight this year – maybe you’ll be interested in downloading some of them!

1. Makan Rescue 

A group of university students in Singapore created Makan Rescue to alert users to free leftover food nearby that would otherwise go to waste. Users can view images of food to be “rescued”, locate its exact venue, as well as add to the database of “missions” by uploading more information all on the app!

2. Soo…where to eat

In Hong Kong, a new bilingual app emerged this year called Soo…where to eat. It lists vegan and vegetarian restaurants across all areas of Hong Kong, and helps hungry users find their nearest veggie-friendly location. It also conveniently features vegan grocery stores!

3. PRAISE-HK 

Another Hong Kong-based app, developed by HKUST, is helping Hong Kongers reduce their exposure to air pollution. By using collected air quality monitoring data and predictive modelling, PRAISE-HK helps users view precise air quality levels in real-time, and estimate 48-hours in advance where pollution is the most severe. 

4. GoodCity 

The GoodCity app is an upcycling app created by local charity Crossroads Foundation so users can help fight Hong Kong’s monumental waste crisis while making a positive social impact. Through GoodCity, people can donate and request unwanted goods efficiently, speeding up the process of rehousing and redistributing preloved items. 

5. Abillionveg

Plant-based review app abillionveg helps members find plant-based food and cruelty-free products. Users of the app can earn credits through posting insights on vegan-friendly menu items and retail products, which turn into donations for organisations that work on animal and marine welfare. 

6. VeganNation 

Developed in Israel, VeganNation is a global app that lets people find 100% vegan restaurants, supermarkets and cafés, as well as participate in social meetups within their neighbourhood plant-based community. The app uses blockchain tech and a traceable digital currency VeganCoin so that users can process their purchase transactions on the app’s digital wallet. 

7. Switch & Co

Switch & Co is an on-demand booking app that makes it easy for users to join health, fitness and leisure activities around town that opened up their platform to Hong Kong this year. It works through a pay-as-you-go basis, so users aren’t put off from engaging in wellness and fitness activities due to long-term contracts and fees.

Lead image courtesy of Unsplash.