Mobile Apps Reinventing Local Living and Sustainability
Some of the apps millions of Europeans use every day were built here. Vinted resells second-hand clothes from Vilnius, BlaBlaCar fills empty car seats across the continent from Paris, and Too Good To Go rescues unsold restaurant food from Copenhagen.
The apps below share a common thread: they help you shop, travel and eat more thoughtfully, from Yuka's ingredient scanner to Olio's neighbourhood food-sharing. Home-grown alternatives to the usual defaults on your phone.
Too Good To Go
Known for: Fighting food waste via a “Surprise Bag” marketplace—users rescue unsold food from local cafes, bakeries, and restaurants at a discount, reducing environmental impact and supporting small businesses.
Available in: Denmark, France, Germany, UK, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and more (17+ European countries)
https://www.toogoodtogo.com
Olio
Known for: Peer-to-peer sharing of surplus food and household goods, fostering hyperlocal reuse and community bonding.
Available in: UK, Ireland, Sweden, and pilot areas in Germany and the Netherlands
https://olioapp.com
BlaBlaCar
Known for: Long-distance carpooling platform matching drivers and passengers to reduce travel costs and emissions.
Available in: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, and more (20+ countries)
https://www.blablacar.com
Yuka
Known for: Barcode scanner that evaluates food and cosmetics for health, sustainability, and additives, empowering ethical choices.
Available in: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK, and most of Western Europe
https://yuka.io
Klima
Known for: Carbon footprint tracker and offsetting app that gives users tips to reduce impact and live more sustainably.
Available in: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, and other Western European markets
https://klima.com
European Coffee Trip
Known for: Curated guide to specialty coffee shops across Europe, covering 5,000+ cafes with rich profiles and offline maps.
Available in: 39 European countries via mobile app
https://www.europeancoffeetrip.com
Vinted
Based in: Lithuania
Known for: Europe’s leading second-hand fashion marketplace
Available in: 20+ countries