Want to Save the Planet? These 5 Chrome Extensions Help

For the eco-conscious out there that are passionate about saving the planet, here are five Chrome extensions you can start using that will help.

It’s no secret that we’re not always as good to the planet as we could be. Between deforestation, global warming, and general waste, there’s a lot to worry about.

So, how can you help? There is a tremendous range of lifestyle changes, charities, and more that can help, but what about when you browse? What about for free?

These five chrome extensions let you easily and freely fight back against the wrongs against our planet, and all while you browse the internet as normal.

1. OurForest

First up on this list comes OurForest. OurForest is a simple Chrome extension with a lot of heart and some great ideas.

The concept behind OurForest is simple, all you need to do is install it in your browser and the extension will automatically replace Google Chrome’s default new tab page with one provided by the extension.

So, how does this help, you ask? Because every time you open this specialized new tab, OurForest will display an ad. The revenue generated from viewing this ad goes to OurForest who use it to pay for trees to be planted.

The actual planting happens through the Eden Reforestation Project which is a pretty reputable service who have done a lot to help fight against deforestation.

Moreover, OurForest also includes a premium plan membership that you can choose to join. This obviously does nothing for the browser extension itself (you seeing the ads pays for the trees being planted, remember?) but rather is more akin to donating to charity.

If you’re the type of person who really cares about reforestation and wants to help however they can, then the premium plan is potentially for you.

2. Ecosia

Next up on this list comes Ecosia, another Chrome extension with a similar approach to OurForest. What’s great here is that you can actually use both of the extensions in tandem, increasing just how much you’re actually helping.

The Chrome extension itself changes your default search engine to the Ecosia search engine, and works to integrate your browser better with Ecosia’s website.

But what actually is Ecosia? At its core, Ecosia is a relatively straightforward idea. Normally, you use a search engine such as Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo . Ecosia is another such search engine, with the main difference being what it does with its revenue.

Google, for example, displays ads to you in the form of promoted search results. Ecosia does the same thing, but instead of pocketing the money, puts it forward to planting trees. In fact, Ecosia is itself a non-for-profit dedicated to planting trees across Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Spain to name a few.

What’s great about the Ecosia search engine is that it puts privacy at the forefront, not just tree planting. The search engine never saves any of your searches, and your information is tracked or sold off.

All you’re doing is willingly seeing the same ads you would on another search engine in order to help plant trees.

3. refoorest

Another Chrome extension aimed at helping tree replanting and reforestation is refoorest. refoorest is another great Chrome extension that lets you browse as you normally would while still making a difference.

refoorest is similar to both Ecosia and OurForest in that it partners with businesses to present you with a form of advertising and then uses the revenue gained through doing so to plant trees.

The difference with refoorest is that you don’t receive ads in the traditional sense. Instead, refoorest integrates into most popular search engines and highlights web results from one of its partners.

If you click the link, you’ll visit the website like normal, but the partnered website will then finance a corresponding amount of tree replanting.

What’s really cool about refoorest is that the extension actually shows you a little notification that tells you when your tree counter goes up. This means that you always know just how much of an impact the extension has actually had, and you’re notified whenever the number changes.

What’s more is that you can use refoorest with the Ecosia search engine as well as OurForest if you so wish. This increases your tree planting potential three-fold.

4. Print Friendly & PDF

Next up, we’ve got something a little different from the previous entries onto this list. So far, every entry has been about reforestation, but this Chrome extension serves to stop you from wasting paper, ink, and energy.

Print Friendly & PDF is a Chrome extension which helps you to save paper and ink when you print things. It does this by automatically reformatting pages before you go to print them.

Unwanted and unnecessary features such as ads, navigation bars, and other junk are all removed before you print. The extension also optimizes pages so that you don’t have huge blank spaces.

Moreover, you can choose to adjust just how the extension edits your pages. You can click to delete any unwanted content or images and change the text size used so that you print fewer pages.

5. EcoCart

Finally, we have EcoCart. EcoCart is an eco-friendly online shopping extension that helps you to both save money as you shop as well as help save the environment. If you do a lot of online shopping and also care about the environment, then EcoCart is a phenomenal little extension that can help you to achieve both.

EcoCart focuses on a simple concept. Online shopping is a contributor to climate change, but it doesn’t have to be. EcoCart works with more than 10,000 different websites to offset the ecological impact that your orders have.

You can search for shops in Google or in the extension itself, and all you need to do is make sure that the extension is running to make your order completely carbon-neutral.

While you shop, EcoCart even gives you rewards in the form of EcoPoints, which you can trade in for a wide variety of different rewards such as Amazon gift cards, cash-back while you shop, or to plant further trees.

Technology Can Make a Sustainable Difference

As you can see, there’s a lot that you can do for planet Earth without having to change much, if anything, about your habits. A couple of ads here and there, and you could help to fight back against climate change.

Technology is constantly changing and evolving, and as it does so, too, do we. Technology could be what saves the planet, or if nothing else makes it easier than ever to be eco-friendly.

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