SAN JOSE, CA — eBay made a big push Monday to nudge consumers into choosing used products over new ones with the launch of a new green shopping website.
The company will reward the first 250,000 people who make the reuse pledge with the protection of an acre of rainforest. Between March 1 and Earth Day, the company will donate to Conservation International's Global Conservation Fund in the name of each person who vows to choose reused products as part of its Green Team Challenge.
For at least the past year, when eBay first opened up its Green Team to its buyers and sellers, the company has cast itself as "a pioneer in sustainable commerce" because used products like the millions sold on its various websites have smaller environmental footprints than their shinier new counterparts.
According to the company, opting for a pair of used leather shoes saves more energy than is used in one day in the average household. Buying a used leather handbag saves the equivalent to the energy spent in the hour-long flight from London to Paris.
New eBay green team members can choose to have their preserved rainforest acre come from three potential sites: Congo, Brazil and Mexico. eBay's funding from the Green Team Challenge goes to Conservation International's Global Conservation Fund, which supports local community activities in the three regions.
The company will also roll out an advertising campaign in the April issues of all Hearst magazines promoting the virtues of used products.
eBay partnered with the Team Earth coalition for the challenge, which also recently joined forces with Starbucks to dedicate to rainforest protection a portion of the proceeds from coffee purchases made with the Conservation International Starbucks Card.
Underlying image CC licensed by Flickr user mugley.