Hiking, used clothing stores and more: sustainable habits on Google Maps

Every April 22, World Earth Day is celebrated, a date to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the environment.

Every year, people incorporate more and new responsible and healthy customs not only for their benefit, but also for the environment.

The curious figures in Chile

To show how this change is taking place in Chile, Google Maps presented the booming search trends with a focus on the reuse of textile materials, emission reduction, healthy eating and outdoor activities.

Every year, according to figures from the latest report “Pulse of the Fashion Industry” prepared by the Global Fashion Agenda, 100,000 million new garments are made in the world and 92 million tons of textiles end up in garbage cans or, for example, in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

This waste takes time to biodegrade from 10 months to 200 years depending on the material of the garment, so the growth of the trend to reuse clothes has been increasing and Chile is no exception.

Search terms

A sample is manifested in the search interest in Google Maps, where the term “used clothing stores” grew by 47% between February 2022 and the same month in 2023. The same happened with “vintage clothing stores” with 95%. %.

In turn, reducing the environmental impact is evident in the mobility of people. Thus, the sale of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in Latin America has been increasing in recent years, according to Statista. Faced with this new reality, Maps shows a 471% increase in people’s interest in “electric vehicle charging stations” in February 2023, compared to the same period last year in Chile.

Healthy nutrition

At the same time, having a good diet based on fresh seasonal foods, vegetables and organic products not only provides essential nutrients for our body, but also contributes to the sustainability and preservation of the earth.

The popularity of these foods, according to Maps trends, can be seen in the increased interest of Chileans in “organic food stores” with 29%, and in “organic stores” with 44% and “food markets”. farmers”8%, compared to last year.

Outdoor activities

In addition to healthy consumption habits, outdoor activities are also becoming increasingly relevant. In this sense, trends such as “hiking areas”, “parks” or “picnic areas” have increased in Maps by 165%, 21%, and 14% respectively. Google Maps recently announced Live View, which allows you to start a walking tour, outdoors or indoors, to see augmented reality arrows that indicate exactly the route to follow.

In addition, in more than 500 cities around the world, selecting a destination, tapping on directions, and scrolling to the cycling option can access information about the use of bicycles and scooters in Maps. These new features are part of Google’s commitment to make it easier for people to find ways to live more sustainably and deal with climate change. To search for these and more places you can enter Google Maps on any device (Android and iOS) or through the Search Engine.