Make A Purchase, Plant A Tree

Living sustainably looks different for everyone. While some of us opt to upcycle and take reusable tumblers and totes to-go, others prioritize eating seasonally or using less energy. Still, breaking ties with consumption entirely—which contributes to our personal carbon footprint—can feel unfeasible; living comfortably still often means shopping for groceries, paying for household utilities, and more. A study found that two-thirds of climate pollution is related to household consumption. 

So how can we begin to counter the effects of our personal output?

Certified B Corp and FINRA-regulated sustainable banking alternative Aspiration is offering a solution. For $60 a year, its Zero credit card plants a tree with every purchase and if cardholders make 60 swipes within a month, we’ll earn 1% cashback on all purchases made. (Even if we don’t get to 60, Aspiration still gives shoppers 0.5% cashback.) Essentially, we’re rewarded for pursuing carbon-neutrality!

Reforestation has been found to be one of the “most effective strategies for climate change mitigation.” It’s also the climate intervention most supported by consumers. So to ensure the longevity of its reforestation efforts, Aspiration avoids planting in logging areas, requires that partners only plant native species to the region, and (where available) also plants those of the agroforestry variety (ie. species that are designated to provide food and security and benefit human needs). As part of its 2022-2023 vision, Aspiration plans to work with local communities and forest guards too, as every million trees planted creates 10,000 workdays.

Teaming up with several partners around the world, the planting methods include seed balls, bare root transfers, mangrove propagule planting, and more; each community and country—from the U.S. to Honduras, Kenya to Madagascar—uses one or more of the approaches depending on the trees native to their region. (A few of Aspiration’s planting partners include One Tree Planted, Arbor Day Foundation, and Eden Reforestation Projects.)

And because curtailing consumption is crucial to living more sustainability—after all, we must reduce, not redirect—cardholders can still pursue carbon-neutrality with just 30 monthly swipes, so long as Aspiration’s ‘Plant Your Change’ feature is enabled. (The feature rounds up our change to plant an additional tree, resulting in two trees per purchase).

The environmental crisis can often feel too big to wrangle or reconcile, but we can still take charge of what’s in our control. With the holidays fast approaching, shopping mindfully this season can make all the difference to both our personal footprints and the Earth’s ecosystems.

Click here to apply for the Zero card—
and get a $300* bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.

This article is in partnership with our friends at Aspiration.

Disclaimer: 

*Terms and conditions apply. To qualify for this one-time $300 statement credit bonus offer, Cardholders must make net qualifying purchase(s) (minus returns and other adjustments) of $3,000 or more with their Aspiration Zero Credit Card within 90 days of account opening. Maximum of one $300 statement credit bonus offer per person. This offer is valid to approved Cardholders until 11:59 p.m. EST 12/31/2021. Statement credit will be applied to the next billing cycle after net purchase qualification threshold is met within the first 90 days of account opening. Your Aspiration Zero Credit Card account must remain open and be in good standing at the time when the one-time statement credit bonus offer is awarded in order to qualify. 

The Aspiration Zero Mastercard® is issued by Beneficial State Bank (“BSB”), member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated (“MCI”). The Aspiration Plus Debit Card is issued by Coastal Community Bank (“CCB”), member FDIC, pursuant to license by MCI. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of MCI.

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