Go Green: 10 Eco-Friendly Tech Products To Celebrate Earth Day 2014

Go Green In Tech

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than going green with great technologies? From laptop accessories, Internet of Things devices, phone chargers and even web hosting, it's possible to take easy eco-friendly steps in everyday technology. Take a look at 10 great technologies on the market today that can help you reduce your carbon footprint and feel good about helping the Earth.

A Bright Laptop Case

Although it isn't green in color, this laptop case's material is 100 percent eco-friendly. The exclusive felt-tech material is made completely from recycled bottles. Just because it's green, however, doesn't mean functionality is lacking. The case fits laptops 13.3 inches and under, and it's cushioned in 4 mm of padding. It's available from Kena Kai for $29.99.

The Nest

Google made big waves when it bought thermostat company Nest for $3.2 billion in January. The "next generation thermostat" goes green at home with the Internet of Things by automatically adjusting home heat while away. The thermostat builds a personalized heating schedule as it adjusts to the perfect temperature, which the company said will let you save up to 20 percent on your monthly bill.

Phone Charger

Bracketron claims that its Mushroom GreenZero wall charger is the most eco-friendly way to charge a phone. When other chargers are left plugged in, they still pull power even when they aren't charging a device.The Bracketron charger eliminates that unused power, lowering energy bills and cutting back on waste. A little bigger than a typical charger, the palm-sized device rings in at approximately $24.95.

Green App

It can be difficult to keep track of all the green products out there, but the GoodGuide app makes it easy. Available for free on both iOS and Android, the app uses scientific ratings to give an eco-friendly score of 0 to 10 to more than 210,000 products and their manufacturers. Users can search by category -- or simply scan a barcode -- within the app to get a score before a purchase. The app works for all sorts of products, from pet food, to baby products, makeup, food and more.

Genius Mouse

Claiming to be the "most eco-friendly wireless mouse," the Genius DX-ECO 2.4 GHz BlueEye wireless mouse is both comfortable to use and good for the environment.The mouse is completely battery-free and its built-in gold capacitor allows for more than 100,000 recharges. The mouse takes only three minutes to charge before it is ready to go with its wireless technology. It retails for $34.49.

Flash Drive

This SanDisk flash drive takes files on-the-go in eco-friendly style. The 16-GB USB flash drive is encased in bamboo rather than plastic or metal, making it more eco-friendly because bamboo grows quickly and releases more oxygen than other trees. The flash drive is available on Amazon for $16.79.

Web Hosting

Data center company AISO.net claims to be an eco-friendly web hosting business. Since 1997, the company has worked to make its data centers and networks as green as possible. They are powered by on-site solar panels, water evaporation cooling systems that obtain water through rainfall and use atmospheric energy for air conditioning. The offices use mirrored tubes and windows to light the building, and they are covered with a "green roof" to cool the building.

Green Cloud

Green Cloud Technologies recently launched a Plant-a-Tree initiative in partnership with Carbonfund.org, which quarterly plants a tree for every business customer. Carbonfund.org works to offset carbon footprints through reforestation. Green Cloud Technologies alone will plant more than 1,500 trees this year through the program.

Desktop Addition

D&H recommends the Acer V226WL 22" LED LCD Monitor as an eco-friendly desktop addition. The monitor is Energy Star-qualified, and EPEAT gold-level compliant, which means it is recommended as a high-performance and environmentally preferred choice. The stand is magnetic, which is a nice addition to keep all those paperclips and other odds and ends organized. The monitor retails on Amazon for $140.52.

Solar-Powered Keyboard

This Logitech keyboard works completely off solar power, which means it needs neither batteries nor a plug to be up and running, even indoors. Without any cables, the keyboard's sleek and thin design keeps a desk decluttered. The Logitech Solar App can be downloaded right to a mobile device to keep track of battery power. The keyboard retails for $59.99.