As much as I love my gadgets, I do feel guilt about their collective impact on the environment. From the amount of energy I use and the often non-recyclable materials that go into my fav devices, to all those batteries that will collect in landfills over the course of my tech-lovin' life, I realize that my gadget addiction affects more than just my own quality of life. But if I were on T-Mobile, at least my cell phone could help tip the scales back a bit.
The carrier just announced a new mobile app called Green Perks. The free application promotes eco-friendly products and services by delivering discounts directly to a Tmo phone. The electronic coupons -- for partners like Method, Jamba Juice, Volcom, Roxy and Quiksilver -- are then redeemed manually at the store.
Green Perks is the latest offering under the company's new Mobilize initiative, which is dedicated to making eco-friendly products and services available to consumers. The app is compatible with most Tmo handsets and can be downloaded here. (FYI: Requires a data plan for downloading the coupons.)
While the choices of brands is not exactly comprehensive yet, more green-oriented partners/participants will be added over time. So far, I think Green Perks is off to a great start for a number of reasons:
- First, way to promote e-coupons instead of paper versions or print-outs!
- Green products are often more expensive, so providing discounts will encourage consumers to make more environmentally conscious choices.
- Even people who would use coupons often don't because they aren't on hand at the time of purchase. But mobile phones are always at hand, and the Green Perks app is easy to get and to use, which means these discounts can always be available. Hopefully, that will make sustainable products more attractive whenever consumers happen to be shopping.
This reminds me of a recent experience I had. A friend had emailed me a 'Friends & Family' discount for a major retailer, but I kept forgetting to print it out and put it in my purse. Then one day, while I was at that store, I realized I could view the PDF on my phone. So I accessed the message and showed it to the cashier, who rung it up on her register. There was even a bar code perfectly visible on the image (though I don't know if that would've worked with her scanning gun. She keyed the code number in manually.)
It was so simple, even pleasant. I felt like a savvy shopper from the future, flashing my gadget for my $50 savings. (True, swiping my phone -- á la RFID or bar code -- would've been even cooler, but I got my discount regardless, so no complaints here.) No wonder retailers are making major efforts to figure out how to leverage mobile tech. There's a great potential here that's only beginning to be tapped.
As for Green Perks, it's nice to see a smart implementation of this concept, especially since it's getting used to benefit a greater good.