‘Tis is the season to shop. Many people are gearing up for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the festive holidays. How about combining your shop with a charitable donation that costs you nothing but a click of the mouse? There are some interesting ways to enjoy the online deals and do a good deed.
With so many consumers turning to online shopping these days, there is a lot of clicking. In 2019, 1.92 billion people purchased goods online, according to Statista, with retail sales online making $3.5 trillion worldwide. The numbers are expected to be much bigger this year.
But did you know that e-commerce shopping can harm the environment? Since search engines and computers are powered by electricity, every time you press Enter on a search, it uses enough electricity to light a 60 watt bulb for 17 seconds, according to Euronews.
When you calculate 87,000 searches per second, as seen on Internet Live Stats, it adds up to significant greenhouse gases. By 2040, internet data centers could be responsible for 14 percent of all carbon emissions, according to Search Engine Journal.
The good news is that many eco-conscious search engines are addressing this issue in creative and exciting ways. Here are seven green search engines that enable consumers to click away with ease, knowing they are saving the environment and helping those in need.
Rapusia
When you click onto Rapusia, you will see the message, “Let’s help the planet.” Rapusia donates over half the money it earns from advertising to social projects, according to Euronews.
Each time you search, you earn a heart and once you have enough hearts, you are asked to donate to a charity. Presently, Rapusia offers six charities to choose from, ranging from the environment, assisting children in need, and protecting endangered animals. Moreover, your search data is not stored so your privacy is protected.
Ecosia
Ecosia is a widely-used eco-conscious search engine based in Germany. Their landing page reads, “Let’s plant some trees!” Ecosia uses the revenue made from advertising to plant trees, and at the time of writing, over 113 million trees have been planted simply from clicks.
According to Ecosia, if the internet were considered a country, it would be the third highest consumer of electricity. Calculating the positive effects of planting so many trees, their operation is now carbon negative.
They have also constructed their very own solar energy plant so they will not have to use external providers for electricity. And as of 2020, according to their site, they are the first company to generate twice as much solar power than needed to power their users’ searches.
Ekoru
This Australian search engine is dedicated to protecting marine life and removing garbage from the sea. The name and logo is inspired from the Maori term for regeneration, according to their website. Clicking on the Ekoru landing page, you will be greeted with “Search to save our oceans.”
Ekoru pledges 60 percent of its revenue among 11 “ocean warrior” affiliates. Their servers are powered by hydro-electricity, and like Rapusia, they do not store your search-related information and all data is encrypted. Ekoru has expanded for 2020 and is now available in 38 countries.
giveWater
The giveWater search engine is dedicated to providing clean water in the developing world. Their landing page reads, “Give clean water every time you search the web.” Like the other social impact search engines, when a user clicks on a paid ad, part of the revenue generated is given to a partner charity.
This company is one of a growing number of businesses that strive to combine profit with improving the world, according to Search Engine Journal.
Everyclick
Clicking on Everyclick, you will see the message, “Raise money for charity when you search the web.” Based in Britain, this company works with 4,400 online stores and UK charities and donates half of its revenue.
When founder Polly Gowers spoke to UKFundraising about traditional fundraising campaigns, she explained, “You don’t need to ride a bike across the desert, shave your head or sit in a bath of beans, we now have over 20,000 users each day raising £1,000.”
Givero
On Givero, you will see “Search the web to raise money for good causes.” Started in 2018 and located in Denmark, half of their revenue goes to a partner charity selected by the user. You can choose from seven charities that help improve the environment, climate, help needy children, and protect animals.
Elliot for Water
The home page reads, “Together we can change the world.” Elliot for Water donates 60 percent of its earnings to a charity that helps provide access to clean water. At the time of writing, close to one million liters of water have been donated by this search engine’s users.
A search earns the user a water “drop,” which will be made into a donation that helps to improve the lives of some 600 million people who are living without clean water.
Elliot for Water is also assisting with solar technology, harnessing the sun to help desalinate water and to run irrigation systems, according to Search Engine Journal. They help install the systems and also teach the locals how to work and maintain the technology.
