I remember a few years ago during the first Cleanweb Hackathon that the winner was a Google Chrome extension that gave users the total cost of ownership as well as energy consumption data on consumer products as they shopped on a site like Lowe’s or Amazon.

The core principle here–that giving consumers data on the energy and carbon footprint of products could alter their buying behavior–has been floating around for a long time. The issue has been implementation. If the government isn’t going to mandate ratings like EnergyStar on appliances, then is there room for a third party to step in and become a trusted source of data on the carbon footprint of everything ranging from that steak you ordered to the washing machine you bought?

Well, there’s a new app from Oroeco that will leverage purchasing data from personal finance aggregator Mint.com in order to educate consumers about the carbon footprint of everything from imported versus domestic produce as well as things like grass fed versus grain fed cattle (the answers are often surprising because how products are made is a major issue in carbon footprint, not just how far they traveled to get to you). The app will publish data on users’ Facebook pages and try to incorporate social media elements that involve contests and prizes.

Oroeco is looking at selling carbon offsets, charging to show investors the carbon emissions of their investments, and advertising as three potential revenue streams. The question I always wonder with any of these apps is how to get them to find an audience beyond die hard enthusiasts who are the type to opt in to this kind of service. But for now, it’s one more step toward raising awareness of the carbon footprint of our spending behavior.