Anyone trying to make money on the internet has heard of the opportunities available through Affiliate Marketing, but many may not know that there is a growing "green" industry offering webmasters a chance to do the earth some good. In the ocean of companies offering a piece of the sales, there are a few who concentrate on organic and earth friendly products, and their programs are just as competitive.
Green Affiliate Programs
The first stop for anyone looking to find Affiliates offering organic and renewable products is Green Affiliates Programs. Broken down into categories, this website offers an extensive directory of companies along with a brief description of the company and links to their affiliate programs. Categories range from activism to pet products to yoga, offering a wide range of opportunities for a multitude of subjects.
Anidan designs has a page dedicated to eco-friendly affiliate programs. This extensive list of programs contains over 50 different companies broken down into categories. Along with links to the website is a brief description of what the company is about. This is one of the best resources for anyone looking to find a green affilate.
Green Hosting Services
Several hosting companies are now using renewable energy to power their server farms. Hosting a website through one of these entities is a great way to further the green nature of an online campaign. Hostgator, Thinkhost, and Supergreen Hosting are a few of the many organizations using environmentally friendly practices to offer their services.
Companies that Give Back
Ecosearch is a company that plants a tree in the Amazon rain forest and Canary Islands for every 10,000 searches made through their engine. In cooperation with Aquaverde, Ecosearch is able to provide support to a company that not only helps with reforestation efforts, but also provides income opportunities for the native people as well as promoting good water management.
You can also buy from companies which have achieved a Cradle to Cradle certification through MBDC. MBDC is a consulting firm created with the sole purpose of revolutionizing the manufacturing process with the goal of eliminating negative environmental impact in all aspects of the process. Certified companies comply with MBDC standards.
This means:
- using environmentally safe and healthy materials
- designing products that use less material as well as materials that can be redesigned either through recycling or composting
- using renewable energy and energy efficiency
- efficient use of water, as well as maintaining maximum water quality associated with production
- instituting strategies for social responsibility.
Other Ways to Go Green
There are many online tools to reduce or completely eliminate junk mail. Shopping online is a great way to limit the amount of driving needed to locate and compare products. Other sites offer recipes for earth friendly cleansers and other home products. Last but not least, any search for "ways to go green" will provide a litany of ideas anyone can use.
For a list of green companies which deserve more support go to MBDC.
For a list of companies doing more to be green try this Newsweek article.
Sources:
c2ccertified.com (accesed 03/02/2010)
greenaffiliateprograms.net (accesed 03/02/2010)
anidandesign.com (accesed 03/02/2010)
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