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'Green' credit cards reward the environment Credit card companies now issue environmentally beneficial cards By Emily Starbuck Gerson
Click the "green" cards floating above the field below to learn about how using a credit card can give back to the environment.
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<td><b>Card name</b></td>
<td><b>Issuing bank</b></td>
<td><b>Features</b></td>
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<td>Brighter Planet Visa</td>
<td>Bank of America</td>
<td>This green card comes with an earth-friendly rewards program in which you earn one EarthSmart point per $1 in retail purchases. Your points will help build renewable energy projects across the U.S., and for every 1,000 points you earn, you will fund an estimated 1 ton of carbon offsets. You can calculate your carbon footprint, create a progress profile, be a part of an online community and monitor the clean energy projects funded by the card use at brighterplanet.com.</td>
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<td>Earth Rewards MasterCard</td>
<td>GE Money</td>
<td>Every time you use your Earth Rewards card, a portion of your net purchases will go to offsetting the emissions created by your purchases and activities. You can can contribute a full 1 percent of your card purchases to emission reduction projects, or contribute .5 percent to climate projects and get .5 percent as cash back. On each Earth Day, you'll receive a statement showing how your Earth Rewards Offsets Balance will help fund large-scale projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.</td>
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<td>GreenPay MasterCard</td>
<td>MetaBank</td>
<td>Achieve carbon neutrality with this green card. Ten pounds of carbon dioxide are reduced for each dollar of eligible purchases for gas and household utilities. </td>
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<td>Defenders of Wildlife WorldPoints Platinum Plus Visa</td>
<td>Bank of America</td>
<td>For every new account that is opened and every purchase made with the card, Bank of America will make a contribution to Defenders of Wildlife at no additional cost to you. You also gain one WorldPoint for every $1 in retail purchases, which you can redeem for typical credit card rewards, but also for eco-friendly products, a donation to Conservation International and 2.5 or 5 tons of carbon offset.</td>
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<td>National Wildlife Federation Rewards American Express</td>
<td>Bank of America</td>
<td>Bank of America makes a contribution to the National Wildlife Federation for each new account opened and renewed. Additional contributions are made when you use your account for retail purchases. You also gain one WorldPoint for every $1 in retail purchases, which you can redeem for typical credit card rewards, but also for eco-friendly products, a donation to Conservation International and 2.5 or 5 tons of carbon offset.</td>
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<td>The Nature Conservancy Platinum Plus Visa</td>
<td>Bank of America</td>
<td>For every new account that is opened and every purchase made with the card, Bank of America will make a contribution to Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization, at no additional cost to you.</td>
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<td>Sierra Club Platinum Plus MasterCard</td>
<td>Bank of America</td>
<td>For every new account that is opened and every purchase made with the card, Bank of America will make a contribution to Sierra Club, America's oldest and largest environmental organization, at no additional cost to you.</td>
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<td>Any reward credit card with WorldPoints</td>
<td>Bank of America</td>
<td>You gain one WorldPoint for every $1 in retail purchases, which you can redeem for typical credit card rewards (gift cards, hotel stays, electronics), but also for eco-friendly products, a donation to Conservation International and 2.5 or 5 tons of carbon offset.</td>
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<td>Enhanced Rewards Program</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>You earn one point for every $1 spent on the card. Points can be redeemed for typical credit card rewards (cash back, gift cards, travel) but also for green rewards, such as a portable solar charger, a steam mop or a garden composter. Carholders can also choose to donate reward points to green initiatives by contributing 5,000 points to support 6,000 kilowatt hours of green power (the equivalent to the clean air benefits of three acres of pine forest storing carbon for a year) and contributing 10,000 points toward supporting the development of enough green power to offset more than seven tons of greenhouse gas emissions -- the emissions from typical residential electricity for one year.</td>
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<td>Any reward credit card with ThankYou Points </td>
<td>Citi</td>
<td>You earn one ThankYou Point for every $1 spent on credit cards with this reward program. You can spend your ThankYou points on vacations, electronics and gift cards, but you can also spend them on an eco-friendly category of merchandise, including battery-free and rechargeable flashlights.</td>
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<td>Audubon Nature Institute Platinum Visa</td>
<td>Chase</td>
<td>When you make a purchase with your card, 1.1 percent of your spending will be donated to the Audubon Nature Institute. Their mission is to enhance the care and survival of wildlife through research and conservation, and your money will go directly to support their zoo, museums, parks, aquarium and Center for Research of Endangered Species. You can also earn Chase Flexible Rewards, with which you earn one point for each $1 of eligible net purchases, and you can redeem them for travel, cash, merchandise or gift cards.</td>
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<td>National Geographic MasterCard</td>
<td>Chase</td>
<td>For every dollar spent on this card, you will help support geographic education, exploration, environmental efforts and scientific research by the National Geographic Society. You can also earn Chase Flexible Rewards, with which you earn 1 point for each $1 of eligible net purchases, and you can redeem them for travel, cash, merchandise or gift cards.
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<td>National Parks Conservation Association Visa
</td>
<td>Chase</td>
<td>Every time you use this card, a donation will be made to the National Parks Conservation Association. You can also earn Chase Flexible Rewards, with which you earn 1 point for each $1 of eligible net purchases, and you can redeem them for travel, cash, merchandise or gift cards.
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<td>Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visa
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<td>Chase
</td>
<td>Every time you use this card, a donation will be made to help protect and enhance elk country, support conservation education and restore wild elk herds, at no additional cost to you. You can also earn Chase Flexible Rewards, with which you earn 1 point for each $1 of eligible net purchases, and you can redeem them for travel, cash, merchandise or gift cards.
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<td>World Wildlife Fund Visa
</td>
<td>Chase</td>
<td>Every time you use this card to make a purchase, the World Wildlife Fund receives 1 percent of the sale, which they use to help save endangered species and protect endangered habitats. Chase will also contribute $50 for each new WWF account opened online. The WWF has received more than $10 million from this program since 1995. You can also earn Chase Flexible Rewards, with which you earn 1 point for each $1 of eligible net purchases, and you can redeem them for travel, cash, merchandise or gift cards.
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<td>BP Visa
</td>
<td>Chase</td>
<td>This is a card that allows consumers to earn rebates on gasoline, travel and dining purchases. Every time cardmembers accumulate at least $25 in rebates, they can redeem them for cash, a BP Gift Card or a donation to The Conservation Fund -- the nation’s top-rated environmental charity.
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<td>Wachovia Possibilities Rewards program (all credit cards come with it, but you have to enroll yourself if you have a debit card)
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<td>Wachovia</td>
<td>You accumulate reward points for purchases (the points earned per dollar spent will vary depending on the Wachovia rewards card that you have), and you can redeem your reward points for airline tickets, gift cards and merchadise, or on an assortment of eco-friendly items, such as cotton bags, solar-powered lights and a portable greenhouse.
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<td>Any American Express card with Membership Reward points
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<td>American Express
</td>
<td>If your American Express card comes with Membership Rewards points, you can redeem them for donations to nearly 20,000 environmental charities. A few examples include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund.
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See related: 'It's getting easier to be green with credit cards' , '10 ways to go green with credit cards' , 'Banks that go green' , 'Survey: U.S. not very eco-friendly with credit cards' , 'Artists recycle credit cards into craft creations'
Published: April 18, 2008 Comments or Questions , Library of Stories
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