Frequently Asked Questions

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (primarily carbon dioxide and methane) generated by our actions, including the products we buy, food we eat, and travel we undertake. It is measured in kilograms or tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Every product and activity has an environmental impact through production, transportation, use, and disposal. Understanding your carbon footprint is the first step toward reducing your environmental impact and fighting climate change.

Ectracc is a free carbon footprint tracking app that helps you understand and reduce your environmental impact. We provide tools to track product emissions through barcode scanning, calculate travel carbon footprint, monitor your lifestyle impact, and get personalized recommendations for sustainable living. Our app makes climate action accessible and actionable for everyone across Ireland, UK, and Europe.

Simply point your phone camera at any product barcode and ECTRACC will instantly recognize it and display its carbon footprint. We use advanced barcode recognition technology compatible with EAN-13, UPC-A, and other standard formats. Our database contains thousands of products from major brands across Europe, including food items, groceries, and consumer goods. The scanner works offline for previously scanned items and syncs data when connected to the internet.

Our carbon footprint data comes from verified sources including Open Food Facts, scientific research papers, lifecycle assessment studies, and manufacturer disclosures. We calculate emissions based on production methods, transportation distances, packaging materials, and end-of-life disposal. While no calculation is 100% perfect, our methodology follows international standards (ISO 14040/14044) and is regularly updated with new research. For products without specific data, we use category averages based on similar items.

We have carbon footprint data for over 1,000+ products and growing, with the best coverage for food and grocery items including fresh produce, packaged foods, beverages, dairy products, meat and fish, snacks, and household goods. We are continuously expanding our database to include more categories like electronics, clothing, and personal care items. If you scan a product not in our database, you can contribute by adding it manually or requesting its addition.

If a product is not found, you can manually add its carbon footprint estimate using our built-in calculator, or you can submit a request for us to research and add it to our database. We prioritize adding frequently requested products. In the meantime, you can use category averages (e.g., average for "packaged pasta" or "canned vegetables") to get an approximate carbon footprint for your tracking.

Our trip planner calculates carbon emissions based on distance, transport mode, vehicle efficiency, and passenger load factors. For cars, we consider vehicle type, fuel efficiency, and number of passengers. For public transport (bus, train, tram), we use average emissions per passenger-kilometer based on regional data. For flights, we factor in flight distance, aircraft type, and class of service. We integrate with real-time transport APIs including Irish Rail, TFI (Transport for Ireland), and European transport networks for accurate calculations.

ECTRACC is available across Europe with enhanced support for Ireland (including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and all Irish Rail routes), United Kingdom (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow), and European Union countries. We provide region-specific carbon calculations based on local electricity grids, transport systems, and production methods. Our trip planner includes real-time data for Irish Rail, UK National Rail, and major European transit systems.

Yes! Our trip planner shows carbon emissions for all available transportation options for your journey including walking, cycling, public transport (bus, train, tram, metro), ride-sharing, personal vehicle, and flying. You can compare emissions, travel time, and cost to make informed decisions about the most sustainable option. For example, a train journey might emit 80% less carbon than driving the same distance.

ECTRACC automatically tracks all your scanned products and planned trips, calculating your cumulative carbon footprint. View your dashboard to see daily, weekly, and monthly trends with beautiful charts and insights. Track separate categories (food, travel, products) to understand where your emissions come from. Set reduction goals and monitor your progress toward sustainable living targets. Export your data anytime for personal records or to share with your community.

Yes! Set personal carbon reduction targets for overall emissions or specific categories like food or travel. Choose from pre-defined goals (reduce by 10%, 25%, 50%) or create custom targets. Track your progress with visual indicators showing how close you are to achieving your goals. Get motivational notifications when you reach milestones and suggestions on how to further reduce your impact. Join challenges to compete with friends or the community.

ECTRACC analyzes your carbon footprint patterns and provides personalized recommendations including lower-emission product alternatives when scanning items, seasonal and local food suggestions to reduce transportation emissions, greener travel options for your frequent routes, weekly tips based on your usage patterns, and comparisons with similar users to understand your relative impact. All recommendations are actionable and tailored to your lifestyle.

Yes, absolutely. We take privacy seriously and follow GDPR regulations. Your personal data is encrypted, never sold to third parties, and only used to provide you with carbon tracking services and personalized recommendations. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time. We collect only the minimum data necessary: products you scan, trips you plan, and basic profile information. All data is stored securely on encrypted servers.

Yes! Export your complete carbon footprint history anytime in CSV or PDF format. The export includes all scanned products, planned trips, carbon emissions by category and date, trends and statistics, and goal progress. Use your data for personal analysis, share with environmental groups, include in sustainability reports, or keep for your own records. You own your data and can take it with you.

ECTRACC works both online and offline. The barcode scanner can recognize previously scanned products offline, and you can view your historical data and dashboard without internet. However, you need an internet connection to: look up new products not in your local cache, plan trips with real-time transport data, sync your data across devices, and get the latest carbon calculation updates. The app automatically syncs when you reconnect.

Yes! ECTRACC is available as a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers. Install it from your browser for a native app-like experience with offline support, push notifications, and home screen icons. We are also developing dedicated native apps for iOS and Android which will be available soon with additional features like widget support and deeper system integration.

Yes! While ECTRACC is optimized for mobile use (especially the barcode scanner), you can access your dashboard, view history, plan trips, and manage your profile from any desktop web browser. The responsive design adapts to larger screens with enhanced visualizations and data tables. Use desktop for in-depth analysis and mobile for on-the-go scanning and tracking.

Start by identifying your biggest emission sources in the dashboard. Common reduction strategies include: choosing products with lower carbon footprints (often local and seasonal foods), reducing meat and dairy consumption (highest food emissions), using public transport, cycling, or walking instead of driving, buying less and choosing quality over quantity, reducing food waste, supporting sustainable brands, and making gradual changes rather than trying to be perfect overnight. Every small action adds up!

Scan products whenever you shop or make purchases to get the most accurate picture of your carbon footprint. Many users scan groceries during or after shopping trips, scan items when meal planning, scan new products they're curious about, and scan alternatives to compare before purchasing. The more you scan, the better ECTRACC understands your patterns and can provide personalized recommendations. Even scanning occasionally is helpful!

While ECTRACC is currently designed for individual personal use, we are developing business features for small companies, restaurants, retail stores, and environmental organizations. Contact us if you're interested in tracking your business's carbon footprint, offering carbon information to customers, or running sustainability initiatives for your team. We offer pilot programs for interested organizations.

Use the built-in feedback form in the app under Settings > Feedback, email us directly at support@ectracc.com, or report issues on our community forum. We welcome all feedback including bug reports, feature requests, carbon data corrections, usability suggestions, and general comments. We review all feedback and prioritize improvements based on user needs. Most issues are addressed within 48 hours.

Getting started is easy: 1) Create a free account (takes 30 seconds), 2) Grant camera permission for barcode scanning, 3) Scan your first product to see its carbon footprint, 4) Explore the dashboard to see your carbon tracking, 5) Set a reduction goal to stay motivated. Check out our "How It Works" guide for a detailed walkthrough of all features.

Food carbon footprints include: agricultural production (farming methods, fertilizers, land use), animal emissions (methane from livestock), processing and manufacturing, packaging materials, transportation from farm to store (local vs imported), refrigeration and storage, and estimated food waste. We use lifecycle assessment (LCA) data from academic research and environmental databases. For example, beef has a much higher footprint (27 kg CO2e per kg) than vegetables (2 kg CO2e per kg) due to methane emissions and feed requirements.

Our carbon calculations are based on: Open Food Facts (product database with 2M+ items), Academic research from universities and climate institutes, IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) guidelines, European Environment Agency data, National transport authority emissions factors, Manufacturer sustainability reports and EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), UK DEFRA conversion factors, and Irish EPA environmental data. We cite sources for transparency and update data regularly as new research becomes available.

Yes, ECTRACC is completely free to use with no hidden costs, subscriptions, or premium tiers. We believe carbon footprint tracking should be accessible to everyone. We are funded through grants, environmental partnerships, and potential future premium features for businesses (not individuals). Your individual account will always remain free with full access to all features including unlimited scanning, tracking, and trip planning.

Support ECTRACC by: spreading the word and recommending to friends, leaving positive reviews and ratings, contributing product data and corrections, sharing feedback to improve the app, engaging with our social media content, participating in our sustainability community, and considering our business features if you have an organization. Your support helps us expand our database and improve carbon tracking for everyone.