Search engine lets you earn 'swag' on behalf of reforestation program
I am sure you have heard about or maybe even used some of the Web search engine sites that will donate something somewhere if you use their lesser-known technology instead of uber-search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing. One example is GoodSearch, which will give money to your specified registered charity.
Swagbucks.com works according to a similar principle, only in this case the charity is you. Every time you use it, you have the potential to earn so-called Swag Bucks (think frequent flyer miles). This digital currency can be used to redeem for certain awards.
So what's the green angle? Well, the company has just introduced a program called Seed the Future that lets you use your Swag Bucks to benefit reforestation projects in 17 countries over four continents. It takes 15 Swag Bucks to plant one tree.
Eron Zehavi, cofounder of Swagbucks.com, says since the Seed the Future redemption offer was offered starting three weeks ago (it's called "Plant a Tree" on the redemption page), there have been about 20 to 25 redemptions per day toward the reforestation programs. That translates into 8,000 to 10,000 trees per year. Here's a link to details about the effort.
You can also earn Swag Bucks for a couple of technology recycling programs that Swagbucks.com offers that reward you for turning in old cell phones, MP3 players, game consoles and video games. Here's that link, as well. And, because you can never be too careful about screening the companies that are recycling or refurbishing your old tech gadgets, here's a link to Swagbucks.com's partner in the trade-in effort, Flipswap.
Incidentally, just because you read this blog all the way to the end, Swagbucks.com is offering a special Swag Code for GreenTech Pastures readers who are new registrants on its site. If you sign up before 11:59 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with the code "GreenTech" (case-sensitive), you'll get 2 extra Swag Bucks. (You already get three for signing up.) Here is the registration link.
Incidentally, you also can earn Swag Bucks for referrals that you make, but I felt it was appropriate to opt out of that option.