The 12 most impressive social good innovations from March

It takes a little help from everyone -- activists, scientists, engineers and artists -- to make the world a better place. And every day, there are new examples of how technology is being used to promote social good. 

Innovators around the world are bringing attention to social issues and providing solutions in new, incredible ways.

And we couldn't keep them to ourselves. Check out the most impressive innovations from March below, and stay tuned for April's best at the end of this month.

1. Pigeon Air Patrol

London equipped 10 domesticated pigeons with tiny backpacks to help monitor air quality and pollution above the city. The backpacks recorded data that was then updated on the Twitter account @PigeonAir.

Created by the startup Plume Labs, this project aims to raise awareness and create local conversations about air pollution -- and it seems to have worked:

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The pigeons are no longer on duty, but Plume Labs encourages humans to join the London Air Patrol.

2. CareKit

Big companies are increasingly contributing to social innovation, and that included Apple in March. At its spring product launch event, Apple announced an expansion on their ResearchKit, a tool that allowed researchers to collect data from users across the world. The new CareKit, allows this data to be used for medical diagnoses, condition and treatment tracking -- and empowers people to take a more active role in their health.

The best part of CareKit is that it's open-source, meaning other third-party apps of your choice will be able to use the data collected to track your health. The first app is for Parkinson's disease, and it will be used at six major medical centers.

3. Liam

In addition to CareKit, Tim Cook also introduced the world to Apple's 29-armed robot, Liam.

Liam can disassemble your iPhone down to its basic parts in just 11 seconds. The parts can then be sold, recycled, or reused, instead of thrown away.

Although the single machine would only be able to recycle 1.2 million of the 230 million iPhones sold per year, there are already plans to create more Liams as part of Apple's ongoing plan for environmental responsibility.

4. Bakeys edible utensils

A Kickstarter campaign launched for Bakeys, the Indian company that manufactures edible cutlery. It has already raised nearly $150,000 (the goal was $20,000) for its environmentally friendly alternative to plastic utensils.

The spoons are made of rice, wheat or sorghum, and come in a variety of flavors like ginger-garlic and cumin. They have a shelf life of two years, and can last up to 20 minutes in hot liquid.

Bakeys has sold 1.5 million spoons per year in India already, and now it's spreading its mission further, aiming to create edible chopsticks, cups and plates. Founder Narayana Peesapaty wants to produce the edible cutlery on an international scale, so they're just as cheap as plastic and can reduce waste worldwide.

5. "Begging boomboxes"

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Dutch visual artist Dries Verhoeven created an art project featuring these boomboxes that sing and ask passersby for spare change as a way to address the issue of poverty in the Netherlands. The project, Songs for Thomas Piketty, challenges society to face the reality of homelessness and poverty, rather than ignore it.

Panhandling is illegal in the Netherlands (as well as many other countries and states around the world), and the homeless have been pushed out of the streets to create an illusion of financial well-being.

Verhoeven's boomboxes will be placed throughout the city of Utrecht until June 5, and then will move on to Amsterdam and Belgium.

6. Algae water bottles

Product design student Ari Jónsson debuted these biodegradable water bottles at the Reykjavik design festival in Iceland. He created the bottles out of red algae powder and water, so they're naturally made and even edible -- if you're into that kind of thing.

Jónsson was inspired to create this bottle after finding out that more than 50% of plastic is used only once and then thrown away.

7. Access Earth

Matt McCann created the Access Earth web platform and app after booking an accessible hotel room, only to realize upon arrival that it actually wasn't accessible by his rolling walker.

This user-generated platform allows users to add and search for data about accessibility in hotels, businesses and restaurants across the world. The app lets people with disabilities specifically know if buildings are equipped with ramps, wide doors, accessible bathrooms and elevators, so they can plan ahead when businesses falsify or overstate accessibility features.

8. m.Paani

Tech entrepreneur Akanksha Hazari won the Hult Prize and a $1 million award to support her company, m.Paani, last month.

m.Paani is a mobile technology tool that helps Indians earn rewards for in-network shopping that can be traded for other vital things, such as water filters or support for school tuition fees. 

Through this company, Hazari hopes to even the playing field for Indians who work hard and still have financial troubles. Learn more about how she's using mobile technology for social good here.

9. Twitter for the blind and those with limited vision

Twitter announced a new feature that will allow users to add descriptions to their photos to accommodate visually impaired users who use screen readers. This feature will make photo content accessible to those who cannot physically see them. 

The description -- or alternative text -- can use up to 420 characters, and this has no effect on the 140 characters already allowed in actual tweets. Check out Twitter's Help Center for details on how to enable this feature in your own account.

10. Disposable vital signs patch

Medical startup Vital Connect created a disposable patch, similar to a band-aid, that can monitor patients' vitals for up to four days -- from home or in the hospital.

According to Vital Connect's website, the VitalPatch "continuously measures and records single lead ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, posture, step count and fall detection with clinical accuracy." The data is then wirelessly delivered to health care providers via Bluetooth.

The VitalPatch will allow health care professionals to monitor at-risk patients around the clock and drive personalized care, even from afar. The FDA has already cleared the device, and the company expects to keep costs efficient, selling them for less than $100.

11. SMS Lifesavers app

When someone has a heart attack, every second counts -- someone's chances of survival drop by 10% for each minute without treatment.

A Swedish digital agency recently developed a mobile app to get people the help they need sooner. SMS Lifesavers connects CPR-trained people with cardiac arrest patients nearby while they wait for an ambulance.

While this app has been in use in Stockholm since 2010, the new version released in March comes with plenty of improvements. The app gives directions to the volunteer "lifesavers," basic instructions for CPR and a metronome to help them keep time.

12. Bacteria that can break down plastic

Only 14% of the world's 342 million tons of plastic is recycled every year. While all plastic takes a long time to decompose, PET is especially resistant.

But scientists in Japan have discovered a bacteria that can degrade this plastic within six weeks. They detailed their findings to the journal Science last month. If the scientists are able to increase the degrading ability of this bacteria, they can reduce the amount of plastic polluting the Earth.

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