Cool Earth Day deals

(Photo: iStockPhoto)

Earth Day brings a slew of marketing campaigns centered on the environment. Some do more good than others, and some are just weird. Many offer ways for consumers to make a donation by making a purchase; some businesses will plant a tree (often in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy or American Forests) in exchange for your purchase.

Then, there are the companies that are offering free stuff or discounts for Earth Day. Here, you'll find some of the coolest Earth Day deals.

Get a cheap haircut

For Earth Week 2009, Paul Mitchell has kicked off "Cut Hair, Not Trees." From April 20 through 24, Paul Mitchell schools will cut your hair for $10 to $15. There are over 100 locations where you can get this recession-friendly cut, and all hair clippings will be donated to Matter of Trust, which makes human hair mats to clean up oil spills. Visit PaulMitchellTheSchool.com to find a Paul Mitchell school near you.

Win a Dell laptop

Dell is the most prominent of dozens of partners in a Brighter Planet campaign promoting earthtweet, which is aggregating Twitter tweets about Earth Day activities and tips.

If you tweet, use the #earthtweet tag to denote your Earth Day tweets (if you tweet, you'll know what this means). Dell is giving away one Studio 15 laptop (Energy Star compliant, features a mercury-free WLED display and comes in "spring green") to the tweeter offering the best technology-related tip.

Turn old bottles into free products at the Disney Store

Disney stores will offer a number of promotions, including selling $2.50 reusable tote bags that support the Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion trees in South America's Atlantic Forest campaign. (You can buy your own tree for a dollar directly from TNC.)

What about free stuff?

You can swap three empty bottles for a free commemorative Earth Day reusable water bottle, an approximate value of $8.50, or a free T-shirt, valued at $12.50 for kids or $16.50 for adults. The T-shirts are made from a fabric derived in part from recycled plastics.

Free LED Christmas lights

Christmas in April? That's what Earth Day is to HolidayLEDs.com, which sells energy efficient LED holiday lights on the Web. It's giving away a free string of 200 solar-powered LED Christmas lights to the first 60 visitors to its site, starting at 10 a.m. EST on April 22.

Winners will have to pay $7.99 to have the lights shipped, but that's still a discount off the retail price of $49.99.

Other LED lights are for sale on the site at a 25% discount, and it will offer a 15% discount to anyone who recycles old Christmas lights through April 29. (The recycling program resumes seasonally from October through February.)

Recycle your pants for a $10 coupon

Lucy, the women's athletic clothing retailer, is offering a $10 discount on a new pair of bottoms to any woman who trades in an old pair of workout pants. The old bottoms will be donated to charity.

Win organic bedding

Tomorrow's World Organic Comfort Zone wants to be your friend.

If you become a fan of the green products company on Facebook, you're eligible to be one of 22 people to win a free product. The retailer has inventory in organic bedroom decor and clothing, socks and underwear, clothing, and home and garden products.

The company seems to take its promotion with an appropriate grain of salt, declaring: "Get natural sleep tips, organic comfort information, win FREE stuff, and receive updates on exclusive sales too! Once you become a FAN you can post on our WALL, upload photos, and interact directly with us. Woo hoo!!"

Or maybe they really felt the second exclamation point was warranted.

Get a discount on outdoor apparel

Nau is offering a 20% discount on purchases from its eco-friendly outdoor apparel selections through April 22. Enter the code ILOVEEARTH and 10% of your purchase will also go to benefit Ecotrust.

Sustainable beauty at nearly half price

Tarte products are made with all natural ingredients and essential oils. The be good to your mother (Earth) gift includes lip sheers encased in post-consumer recycled aluminum and are paired with a reusable natural cotton tote. With recycled aluminum, greenhouse gas emissions from aluminum production are reduced by 95%. Carrying a reusable tote will save over 200 species of sea life, which otherwise die from plastic bag waste -- and the typical $62 cost is reduced to $35 for Earth Day. Available at sephora.com.

Organic food coupons

Go Organic! for Earth Day is a campaign organized by Music Matters, the Earth Day Network, and the Organic Trade Association (a 2009 Heart of Green Award nominee in the food category), and sponsored by many big organic food companies.

The goal? Get you to eat organic food, and presumably become fan enough to continue buying the promoted brands long after Earth Day.

The method? Give you $12 in coupons, and a chance to win a year's worth of organic groceries. Major retailers like Price Chopper and Shop Rite are participating (you can input your zip code at Go Organic! for Earth Day or download an iPhone app to find nearby participating stores) and you'll see promotions on Facebook and elsewhere.

Win a To-Go Ware RePEat Kit

The Daily Green is offering a special Earth Day sweepstakes. Five people will be eligible to win the To-Go Ware RePEat Kit, a handy set of reusable utensils perfect for toting to work or school to eliminate disposable utensil waste. The kits retail for $9.95. The sweepstakes starts at 12:01 a.m. April 22.

More from The Daily Green

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• The Earth Day Diet: Healthy for You and the Earth
• What's Your Green Personality? Take the Quiz
• 15 Small Steps That Really Help the Environment
• The EPA's Most Wanted Fugitives