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Talk:Environmental Consumer Awareness Technology
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== Cellphone Applications == ===GoodGuide=== The GoodGuide application for the iPhone allows users to turn their phones into makeshift bar-code readers, using the camera function to snap a picture of the individual bar-code on the back of a product. This bar-code reading brings up a product rating assessed by GoodGuide (represented by a score out of 10) by three standards: health, environmental and social, as well as in-depth details on the quality of the product and the company that produced it. GoodGuide boasts over 65,000 products covered in its database, including food, personal care items, household chemicals, and toys.<ref>http://www.goodguide.com/about</ref> This product archive can also be accessed online. [[Image:GoodGuideRating_Chart_Table.jpg|thumb|right|Fig 1: GoodGuide's Rating Standards]] Each of the three ratings is scored on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, 1 the worst. Under each score number is a brief explanation, followed by a link to more data. If clicked, the link brings up a list of subcategories, each with their own scores for individual concerns such as human health impact, safety, corporate ethics, labor and human rights, and even the social conditions of the state in which the item was produced, among other things. There is also Life Cycle Analyzes (LCA) for the product if such information is available.<ref>http://www.goodguide.com/about/ratings</ref> '''Methodology:''' GoodGuide rates both publicly-traded and privately-owned companies. Publicly-traded companies are required, by law, to disclose a certain amount of information on their policies, and often this data is gathered and rated by certified third parties (such as regulatory agencies) which GoodGuide then files into its own data system. Privately-owned companies require independent research from agencies licensed by GoodGuide itself. The various indicator scores are then passed through a series of algorithms (weighted against each other by factors such as report trust) which then produce the final score for each of the three categories: health, environmental and social (See: Figure 1).<ref>http://www.goodguide.com/about/methodology</ref> ===Label Lookup=== Label Lookup is an application offered by NRDC Simple Steps, which allows users to check the validity of product labels. Many products feature claims on their label such as "Free Range," "No Additives," or "Non-Toxic," but the actual weight or meaning of these claims can be vague or misleading to the consumer. The function of Label Lookup is to verify these claims and provide the user with accurate information. Like GoodGuides, Label Lookup is also an application specifically for iPhone, but the service can also be accessed from any cellphone (by sending a text code followed by the label name) as well as online.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20120206055402/http://www.simplesteps.org/food/shopping-wise/new-mobile-label-lookup-smart-shoppers-go</ref> The application uses a "three-leaf" scoring system (essentially a score of 0-3, 0 being the worst and 3 being the best). A score of 3 means the claim is verified by government or other reputable bodies and checked by third-party inspectors, meeting the highest environmental standards; claims receiving a 2 are simply verified or regulated while remaining consistent; a 1 is a claim that can potentially be false advertising and subject to legal recourse; a score of 0 represents a claim that is vague or lacking in consistent definitions.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20100314164839/http://www.simplesteps.org:80/labels/what-do-leaves-mean</ref> '''Methodology:''' Due to the wide variance of labels and certification programs, Label Lookup aims to keep their rating system as neutral and descriptive as possible, looking for labels that are well-defined and verified by third-party certifiers while meeting the standards of NRDC's program staff. In many cases, information is drawn from the eco-label sites themselves (where applicable), as well as the USDA, EPA, Consumer's Union, the Ecolabel Index, and other government bodies that regulate specific product categories, such as paints. This information is used to lay out the regulations to apply to the use of certain claims within certain contexts (for example, "fresh" or "natural").<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20150108171817/http://www.simplesteps.org:80/content/about</ref> ===iRecycle=== The iRecycle application from Earth911 is used to locate recycling facilities for specific materials. Orginally created by the URRC and Spartanburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. partnered with iRecycle in 2008. With the application the user is able to input what kind of material they are trying to dispose of (ranging anywhere from old bottles to motor oil and car batteries), followed by their location, and the application brings up a list of facilities in that area, including instant maps and directions. iRecycle lists over 110,000 recycling and disposal locations for 240 different recyclable materials. Additional features include updates on local "green" events.<ref>http://www.mobiledownloadblog.com/2009/10/download-recycling-app-for-iphone.html</ref>
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