SpendScan vs Commons (Joro): Precise Food Carbon Tracking

Why Choose SpendScan for Food Carbon Tracking?

Commons (formerly Joro) pioneered consumer carbon tracking by linking your spending to transaction-level emissions estimates. It's an excellent tool for understanding your overall carbon footprint across all purchases. However, when it comes to food specifically—which accounts for roughly 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions—SpendScan provides far more accurate, item-level carbon calculations based on exactly what you bought, not estimates based on where you shopped.

Key Differentiators

• Item-Level Accuracy: SpendScan calculates emissions for every item on your receipt, whilst Commons estimates based on transaction totals and merchant categories. The difference? Commons might estimate your Lidl shop at X kg CO2, whilst SpendScan knows you bought beef (high impact), seasonal vegetables (low impact), and imported avocados (medium impact).
• Receipt Scanner with OCR: Our grocery receipt scanner app extracts every line item from your supermarket receipts automatically, providing the granular data needed for accurate carbon calculations.
• Grocery-Specific Insights: Focus exclusively on food spending and environmental impact, with seasonal and local scores tailored to your region.
• No Bank Connection Required: Upload receipts directly without connecting your bank accounts, giving you complete control over your privacy.

Feature Comparison

The Precision Difference: Item-Level vs Transaction-Level

Commons' Approach: Transaction Estimates

Commons uses a brilliant but broad-brush approach. When you spend €85 at Aldi, it estimates the carbon footprint based on average emissions for grocery shopping. This works reasonably well for understanding your overall impact across all spending categories—travel, clothing, dining, groceries, and more.

However, the food you buy matters enormously. Consider two €85 Aldi transactions:

Transaction A: Mostly vegetables, fruits, beans, and grains Transaction B: Mostly beef, lamb, cheese, and imported produce

Both show as identical in Commons (same shop, same amount spent), but Transaction B might have 5-10x the carbon footprint of Transaction A. This distinction matters if you want to actually reduce your food-related emissions.

SpendScan's Approach: Receipt-Level Precision

SpendScan takes a fundamentally different approach. When you upload a receipt, our AI extracts every item:

• 500g British beef mince → 12.5kg CO2e
• 800g seasonal carrots → 0.24kg CO2e
• 400g imported asparagus → 2.8kg CO2e
• 1L semi-skimmed milk → 1.3kg CO2e

These calculations draw from peer-reviewed research published in Science by Poore & Nemecek, Our World in Data, and IPCC climate reports. The result? You see not just your total carbon foodprint, but exactly which items contributed most and where you have opportunities to reduce impact.

Beyond Carbon: Seasonal and Local Scores

SpendScan provides two additional environmental metrics absent from Commons:

Seasonal Score

Your seasonal score tracks how well you're buying fruits and vegetables during their natural growing season in your region. Out-of-season produce often requires:

• Energy-intensive greenhouse cultivation
• Long-distance transport from warmer climates
• Higher costs (both financial and environmental)

SpendScan knows which produce is in season for your location and highlights when you're buying out-of-season items. This helps you make better choices—seasonal produce typically tastes better, costs less, and has lower environmental impact.

Local Score

Your local score shows the proportion of your groceries sourced locally versus imported. Local food supports your regional economy and reduces transport emissions. SpendScan identifies which items are typically grown or produced in your country and which require long-distance shipping.

This granularity enables targeted changes. Perhaps you're doing brilliantly with local vegetables but didn't realise your regular berries travel thousands of miles. Armed with this knowledge, you can make informed swaps.

Who Needs What Level of Detail?

Choose Commons if you:

• Want to track your overall carbon footprint across all spending categories (transport, clothing, dining, entertainment, etc.)
• Prefer automatic tracking via bank connection without manual input
• Don't need item-level food detail
• Focus on broad lifestyle carbon reduction rather than specific food choices
• Value the social challenges and community features

Choose SpendScan if you:

• Want accurate, item-level carbon tracking specifically for food
• Care about distinguishing between high-impact and low-impact groceries
• Value seasonal and local food scores
• Prefer not to connect your bank accounts
• Focus specifically on reducing your food-related emissions and spending
• Want a grocery budget app with environmental insights

Consider using both if you:

• Want comprehensive carbon tracking across all life areas (Commons) plus detailed food analysis (SpendScan)
• Take both general sustainability and food-specific choices seriously
• Have the budget for multiple tracking tools

The Food Carbon Footprint Challenge

Food represents a unique challenge in carbon tracking. Unlike categories such as transport (where miles driven or flights taken provide clear metrics) or energy (where utility bills show kWh consumed), food emissions vary dramatically based on what you buy, not just where or how much.

A €50 shop could have wildly different carbon footprints depending on your choices:

• Seasonal vegetables, legumes, and grains: ~2kg CO2e
• Mix of vegetables, chicken, and dairy: ~8kg CO2e
• Beef, lamb, and imported produce: ~25kg CO2e

Transaction-level estimates can't capture this variation. They see three identical €50 transactions at the same supermarket and assign the same carbon cost to all three. SpendScan sees the individual items and calculates accurately for each basket.

Receipt Scanner Technology for Better Data

SpendScan's receipt OCR app handles the tedious work of data entry. Simply photograph your receipt and our AI:

1. Extracts every item name, quantity, and price
2. Simplifies cryptic abbreviations (like "BROC FLR ORG 200G" → "Broccoli Florets, Organic, 200g")
3. Categorises items automatically
4. Calculates individual carbon footprints
5. Provides seasonal and local context

This automation makes detailed tracking practical. You're not manually logging 40 items per shop—you're taking one photo and reviewing the results.

Practical Sustainability Through Understanding

Both SpendScan and Commons share a common goal: helping people make more sustainable choices. They simply approach it differently.

Commons excels at painting the big picture—showing your overall carbon impact and how it compares to others. This awareness is valuable and often motivating.

SpendScan zooms in on food specifically, providing actionable insights: "You bought tomatoes this week, but they're out of season here. Try root vegetables instead—they're in season, cheaper, and have 70% lower emissions." or "Your beef consumption accounts for 60% of your food carbon footprint. Consider swapping to chicken or legumes twice per week to significantly reduce impact."

This specificity transforms vague intentions ("I want to be more sustainable") into concrete actions ("I'll buy seasonal vegetables and reduce beef consumption"). And because you're tracking grocery spending simultaneously, you often find that environmentally friendly choices also save money.

Making Informed Food Choices

SpendScan doesn't judge your food choices—it illuminates them. Whether you're a committed vegan or a confirmed carnivore, understanding the carbon foodprint of what you buy empowers better decisions. Perhaps you'll discover that your plant-based diet already has low emissions, or maybe you'll find specific high-impact items worth reconsidering.

The combination of financial tracking (are you spending too much on snacks?) and environmental tracking (are those snacks also high-carbon?) provides a fuller picture than either metric alone. Because the healthiest budget is one that considers both your wallet and the planet.