Sustainability-driven apps

Innovating consumption for a greener future

Sustainability-driven apps are gaining traction as they provide accessible ways for individuals to adopt sustainable consumption habits. Our data reveals that the majority of sustainability-driven apps score above the average App Pulse Score. This chapter explores the key factors behind their success, including user demographics, adoption trends, and effective strategies like creating win-win-win scenarios and enhancing user experience. It also delves into innovations in AI-powered resale platforms and green energy apps, highlighting how they contribute to a greener, more efficient future.

4.1

Who is driving the shift?

Sustainability-focused apps offer accessible and engaging ways for individuals to adopt sustainable consumption habits—from second-hand marketplaces and food waste reduction to shared mobility and equipment. As shown in the graph below, most of the sustainability-driven apps in our study score above the global average App Pulse Score of 71. This indicates strong user satisfaction, effective features, and substantial business potential. This first section examines the adoption of sustainability apps across subcategories and demographics.

Gender distribution

Our data offers valuable insights into how men and women engage with sustainability-driven apps across various categories. It reveals a noticeable trend: women are more inclined to use apps that focus on reducing food waste and second-hand marketplaces, This indicates a preference for practical solutions that align with everyday sustainability. In contrast, men demonstrate a stronger preference for shared mobility services and energy-related apps, suggesting an interest in efficiency.

Rural vs. urban adoption
As the chart below illustrates, our data challenges the notion that sustainability-focused apps are primarily adopted in urban areas. It reveals that rural users show higher adoption rates for second-hand marketplaces compared to their urban counterparts (24% vs. 20%). This suggests a strong inclination toward circular economy solutions in rural communities. This is most likely driven by a combination of cost-effectiveness and limited local retail options. In contrast, urban users lead in adopting shared mobility apps (12% vs. 4%), reflecting the convenience and practicality of these services in densely populated areas with established infrastructure.

Age distribution
Our data analysis shows how different age groups engage with sustainability-driven apps, revealing clear generational preferences. Gen Z (18–26) and Millennials (27–42) lead in adopting apps focused on food waste reduction and shared mobility. Together they make up for a significant portion of users. Their preference suggests a strong alignment with convenience and immediate impact, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainable lifestyles combined with the appeal of tech-enabled solutions. In contrast, Baby Boomers (59 and older) exhibit the highest adoption rates for green energy apps. This trend appears to be motivated not only by sustainability concerns but also by the potential for long-term cost savings. Meanwhile, users aged 43–58 (Gen X) represent a substantial share of the market, indicating a balanced interest across various sustainability categories.

Adoption across sustainability subcategories
An analysis of sustainability subcategories provides further insights into demographic adoption patterns. In the circular economy category, secondhand marketplaces like Marktplaats, DBA, and Blocket attract the broadest demographic, with rural adoption (24%) surpassing urban (20%), challenging the idea that sustainability is an urban luxury. In the shared economy segment, Millennials and Gen Z lead the shift from ownership to access, preferring car-sharing and tool rentals, especially in urban areas (12% vs. 4%), emphasizing the appeal of shared resources in densely populated areas.

Food waste reduction apps see the highest adoption among Gen Z (34.1%) and Millennials (32.7%), with women driving this trend. Urban users (27%) slightly surpass rural users (24%) due to better access to food suppliers. In the green energy and EVs category, Baby Boomers lead in adopting green electricity apps, motivated by sustainability and cost savings, with equal adoption rates in both urban and rural areas (7%). Meanwhile, EV charging apps attract younger generations, including Gen Z (9.8%) and Gen X (8.5%), reflecting a growing interest in sustainable mobility solutions.

Creating win-win-win scenarios
Leading sustainability apps thrive by delivering triple impact. This win-win-win approach not only drives growth but also strengthens user engagement.

For end-users

These apps empower people to reduce their environmental impact, save money, or even earn money through marketplaces.

For businesses

They open access to new markets of environmentally conscious consumers and enable new business models. Whether by launching new services or creating marketplaces for pre-owned goods, these apps help ensure that products are used to their full potential.

For the planet

By promoting reuse, repair, and recycling, these apps help minimize waste and reduce resource consumption, extending the life of individual products.

This purpose-driven strategy can unlock new business opportunities and expand markets for existing players. For sustainable apps, the wins are central to the business model—by making users feel part of something bigger, these apps enhance satisfaction and loyalty.

To scale successfully, a well-balanced ecosystem is essential. For example, a thriving second-hand marketplace requires both buyers and sellers, whereas food waste apps generate impact by optimizing supply alone. Understanding these dynamics is key to long-term success.

A win-win-win approach becomes a core part of the user experience by amplifying the most positive aspects of the product. Clearly highlighting the benefits reinforces the mission while making users feel like an integral part of it. This strategy strengthens engagement and builds long-term loyalty.

Highlighted energy app: Smart savings in action

Vattenfall has introduced smart charging for electric cars that automatically operates when hourly electricity prices are at their lowest. This approach benefits both Vattenfall, by maximizing system efficiency, and users, who save on charging costs. The app clearly highlights these savings by comparing them to the cost of charging without optimization, reinforcing the value of smart charging for both the wallet and the grid.

Success story

Tibber has emerged as a standout player in Sweden's green energy market, revolutionizing the way consumers manage their energy usage. Tibber has an App Pulse score of 81. Their app empowers users to monitor real-time energy consumption, optimize electricity usage, and save on costs by automatically adjusting energy consumption based on pricing fluctuations. By offering transparency and control, Tibber has gained strong customer loyalty, with users appreciating its smart approach to energy management. The app integrates seamlessly with smart home devices, enhancing user experience and driving further adoption. Tibber's commitment to sustainability and innovation has positioned itself as a leader in Sweden's energy sector, making it a true success story.

Turning weaknesses into strengths
Many sustainability apps, particularly marketplaces, face challenges such as trust issues, unreliable sellers, and communication barriers. Addressing these weaknesses directly has proven to be a competitive advantage for top-ranking apps in our App Pulse Study.

Establishing trust is essential for apps that facilitate peer-to-peer transactions. As a buyer, you cannot be certain who is on the other end or if the product will match its description—or even arrive at all. Meanwhile, sellers often face frustration when potential buyers fail to complete transactions, resulting in wasted time and effort. If these challenges are ignored, users may revert to traditional shopping methods, where trust is high, availability is reliable, and purchases are frictionless.

By ensuring secure payments, simplifying communication between buyers and sellers, and making it easy to post items with accurate descriptions and images, these platforms have earned high ratings for trustworthiness, ease of use, and quality content. This approach not only resolves pain points but also reinforces user confidence and loyalty.

Success story

Auction app Tradera has an App Pulse score of 75 and has transformed the selling experience by introducing a range of smart features that automate and simplify the process. Tradera uses AI to autofill product details, reduce the need for back-and-forth messaging, and handle payments directly on the platform. This streamlines the selling process, removing common frustrations and creating a seamless, nearly effortless experience that makes posting items quicker and more enjoyable.

Vinted has an App Pulse score of 74 and has elevated trust in the second-hand marketplace with its “Buyer Protection” service. By offering a paid service that includes refunds for lost, damaged, or inaccurately described items, along with secure transactions through Vinted's escrow system, the platform has effectively eliminated the risks of peer-to-peer markets. This approach provides both sellers and buyers with a safe and reliable environment, making the marketplace as trustworthy as traditional e-commerce platforms.

Redefining user experience with smart notifications
Notifications have the potential to be a powerful tool for user engagement, but they often fall short. When used excessively or without relevance, they risk annoying users rather than helping them. In fact, our driver analysis shows that notifications were the lowest-performing factor across all three markets, revealing a clear opportunity to improve their effectiveness.

The key lies in personalization. When apps understand user preferences and deliver timely, meaningful updates, notifications become helpful rather than disruptive. However, many apps struggle to deliver the right information at the right time and in the right context. One reason for this is that many users do not fully understand how to set up notifications or even what they are looking for. Instead, they tend to browse apps like social media, enjoying the thrill of discovery when they stumble upon something great.

This suggests that notifications should go beyond simple updates— helping users uncover hidden gems effortlessly. Apps that can bridge this gap and make notifications feel like a natural extension of exploration stand to gain significantly.

Some apps in our study manage this well by tailoring recommendations and options based on individual preferences and real-time location. Rather than pushing unwanted offers, these apps act more like agents on behalf of the user, making notifications feel useful rather than intrusive. This approach works particularly well for time-sensitive, unique offers—whether it is finding a shirt in the right size at a good price or securing a meal that would otherwise go to waste. By ensuring notifications serve the user’s needs rather than the app’s agenda, businesses can create a better user experience and encourage more sustainable shopping habits.

Success story

The Swedish second-hand marketplace Blocket has an App Pulse score of 70. Blocket enhances the user experience by allowing users to set up personalized alerts based on item type, category, location, and price. This approach ensures that notifications serve a clear purpose—helping users quickly find what they are looking for. While some users report reliability issues with notifications, their feedback highlights a desire to receive them, rather than frustration from overuse.

Similarly, Karma, with an App Pulse score of 71, has a service that helps restaurants and grocery stores sell surplus food, leverages real-time, location-based notifications to alert users when a followed restaurant has an offer. This strategy keeps notifications relevant and timely, benefiting both users and sellers by ensuring surplus food is picked up quickly instead of going to waste.

There is much to learn from how apps communicate effectively on users' terms, even for products in different industries. The challenge goes beyond merely sending notifications—it lies in making them meaningful. Understanding what users rely on the product for and refining notifications to feel helpful rather than disruptive is essential. While subscriptions and saved searches offer value, empowering users to control notification frequency or leveraging AI to learn from their behavior can significantly enhance the experience. Smart algorithms can ensure that notifications are timely and relevant, reducing frustration and boosting engagement. When the product works for the user, the business will be rewarded.

4.3

Seamless secondhand sales: AI’s impact on circular economy

As the circular economy gains momentum, secondhand marketplaces are thriving. More people are turning to resale platforms to buy and sell pre-owned goods, helping to extend product lifespans and reduce waste. However, selling secondhand is not always seamless—poor listing visibility, low-quality photos, and authenticity concerns can create uncertainty, leading to missed opportunities for both sellers and buyers.
AI-powered tools are transforming the selling experience by enhancing product images, optimizing descriptions, and even verifying luxury items. These innovations reduce friction, build trust, and help ensure that both sellers and buyers feel equally satisfied.

Highlighted sustainability app: A rewarding experience
The Swedish second-hand marketplace app Sellpy creates a sense of reward when shopping secondhand. The app emphasizes the environmental benefits of buying pre-owned items by highlighting reductions in water usage and CO2 emissions. By making the positive impact of second-hand shopping visible and tangible, Sellpy reinforces the sense that choosing pre-owned is not only better for the planet but also a responsible choice for everyone.

AI as the ultimate selling assistant
Modern resale apps use AI-driven features to optimize product presentation and improve the selling experience. AI-enhanced photo tools automatically adjust lighting, contrast, and backgrounds, making items look professionally photographed—all from a smartphone. Some platforms also offer real-time composition tips to capture products from their best angles.

Beyond visuals, AI refines product descriptions by generating automated text based on item characteristics, market trends, and past successful listings. AI-generated keywords further boost listing visibility, ensuring that products reach the right buyers at the right time.

Building trust with AI-powered authentication
For sellers of high-value secondhand items—such as Chanel bags, Rolex watches, or designer sneakers—authenticity is a major concern. Buyers need to be confident that their purchase is genuine, and AI is making luxury resale more secure than ever.

AI-powered authentication tools offer a range of capabilities to reinforce trust:

Verifying authenticity through advanced image recognition to detect inconsistencies in stitching, logos, materials, and serial numbers.

Cross-checking serial numbers against official records using machine learning.

Issuing digital authenticity certificates via blockchain technology to simplify future resales.

Combining AI with human experts for final verification, ensuring maximum accuracy.

The future of AI-powered resale
As circular economy apps continue to evolve, AI is shaping the future of secondhand selling—from virtual try-ons to smarter pricing and authentication tools. By removing friction, enhancing trust, and improving product presentation, AI is making resale more seamless and rewarding for both sellers and buyers. Whether it involves clearing out a closet or reselling a rare collectible, AI is transforming the resale experience—turning ordinary listings into highly appealing ones. Platforms that embrace AI-driven innovation will not only boost engagement but also lead the shift toward a smarter, greener, and more efficient resale economy.

Smarter home energy management
Fluctuating electricity prices and grid stability challenges make intelligent energy management more important than ever. Apps like Mitt Vattenfall and Norlys Energy provide real-time data and automation, enabling users to shift high-energy activities, such as laundry, dishwashing, and EV charging, to off-peak hours, when electricity is both cheaper and greener. By integrating automated scheduling and detailed analytics, these apps help reduce household energy waste while also easing pressure on the grid. As electrification accelerates, their role in balancing energy demand will only expand. However, managing home energy is only one part of the equation. A separate but equally crucial aspect is how electricity is used for EV charging, which requires distinct solutions tailored specifically to vehicle energy needs.

EV charging apps: Bridging the gap between infrastructure and experience

EV charging apps play a crucial role in the shift to sustainable mobility, yet many still fall short. The focus has largely been on expanding infrastructure and monetization, while usability and user engagement have taken a back seat. In Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, the charging experience is fragmented. Drivers often need multiple apps for different networks, making public charging more complex than it should be.

The Netherlands sets the standard for EV infrastructure with Europe’s most advanced and dense public charging network, reducing the need for home charging. In Denmark and Sweden, EV infrastructure is expanding, but rural and suburban gaps make home charging a key necessity. As these markets evolve, charging apps must do more than just connect drivers to chargers—they need to elevate the experience by integrating real-time grid data, dynamic pricing, and automation, ensuring seamless, efficient, and user-centric charging.

For longer trips, the charging flow is predictable; plan a route, stop, charge, and continue. But most apps fail to support this journey seamlessly. Dynamic pricing insights are rare, real-time optimization is limited, and users are left managing availability and pricing manually instead of receiving smart, automated guidance.

At home, solutions like Mitt Vattenfall and Norlys Energy offer greater predictability, allowing users to automate charging during off-peak hours to align with grid-friendly energy use. Among public charging apps, OK in Denmark stands out for its reliable, user-friendly experience, but this remains an exception rather than the norm.

To stay relevant, EV charging apps must evolve from simple infrastructure connectors to intelligent energy platforms by integrating:

Seamless interoperability across networks, eliminating the need for multiple apps.

Dynamic pricing transparency, helping users optimize charging costs.

AI-powered route and charge planning, with real-time availability forecasts.

EV charging should no longer be just about finding a charger—it must become a seamless, automated, and grid-aware experience. The platforms that act now to prioritize convenience, efficiency, and smart energy integration will shape the future of sustainable mobility.

4.5

Conclusions & takeaways

Sustainability-focused apps are reshaping consumption by making circular practices, energy efficiency, and shared mobility more accessible than ever. By leveraging AI, personalization, and seamless user experiences, these apps empower individuals to adopt sustainable habits effortlessly, turning everyday actions into meaningful contributions to the planet while offering a sense of purpose. By turning challenges into opportunities and enhancing the user experience through smarter notifications, they prove that sustainability and product excellence can go hand in hand. As the market for sustainable solutions grows, these factors are important to consider when developing a sustainable app:

The growing demand for sustainability-driven digital solutions is reinforced by shifting regulations, consumer values, and business opportunities. Upcoming policies, such as Sweden’s mandatory textile recycling law, highlight the urgency for innovation, while the success of secondhand marketplaces, green energy apps, and food waste solutions underscores the potential for scalable impact.

Demographic insights reveal that women prioritize cost savings and environmental benefits, while men gravitate toward energy and mobility solutions. Rural users favor circular economy apps, whereas urban users lean into shared mobility. Younger generations seek convenience and impact, while older users prioritize long-term savings and reliability. These variations emphasize the need for tailored marketing strategies and app features that align with user motivations.

Not every sustainability-driven business model is built to last. Even the most forward-thinking initiatives can face challenges in financial viability, scalability, and evolving market conditions. Recent shifts across industries highlight the complexities of turning sustainable ambitions into lasting impact. Yet, these challenges also reinforce the need for continuous innovation. A greener future is not shaped by individual successes alone but by a shared commitment to refining, adapting, and building solutions that stand the test of time.

One of the biggest opportunities for improvement lies in notifications. While they are currently one of the weakest-performing features, they hold the potential to increase engagement, drive sustainable actions, and create a frictionless user experience—if used effectively. The challenge is not more notifications, but better ones—smart, timely, and aligned with user intent.

The path forward is clear: sustainability and product excellence must go hand in hand. The companies that prioritize seamless experiences, leverage user insights, and continuously refine their models will not only drive engagement and loyalty but also lead the way in shaping a smarter, greener digital future.