A tech startup founded by a pair of Eckerd College professors and marine scientists is on a mission to reduce single-use plastics. Remora is a new app that helps users measure their use of single-use plastics in an effort to bring the number down and dramatically reduce the usage of and need for those single-use plastics.

The concept is similar in approach to many healthy eating apps, but instead of measuring calories and dropping weight, users track the things they use on a daily basis and cut out the metaphorical extra fat.

Remora is a community-based app, where users track their single-use plastic consumption, engage with each other, and measure long-term progress towards refusing plastics in their daily life. After downloading the app, you can invite your friends, compare your stats, build your streaks, win badges, and ultimately make a change in the world.

Remora was developed by Amy N. S. Siuda, PH.D. and Shannon Gowans, PH.D., a team united behind the goal of preventing trash from entering waterways and ecosystems, an important issue in our area. In fact, according to Remora, 171 plastic bottles are purchased every minute in St. Pete, and only 15 out of those 171 plastic bottles are actually recycled, less than 1 percent of the total.

Remora is hosting a launch party at 3 Daughters Brewing on Wednesday, May 17 at 7 pm and attendance is free. They are inviting everyone “to meet the Remora community as we launch the movement to create a cleaner, more sustainable future. We can do more with less, but with you, we can change the world.”

Get the app and learn more at getremora.org.