About Greenopolis

Greenopolis is a social networking site that develops online relations between everyday people, communities, organizations, schools and businesses. As an environmentally-focused social networking site, Greenopolis was created to engage users on green issues so that they might learn, explore and participate in an open dialogue about the present and future of our environment.

Waste Management sponsored the creation of the site to encourage individuals, communities, non-profits and businesses to communicate about green practices, to give users a tool to share ideas and to encourage people to make positive, incremental changes in their daily lives.

While Greenopolis shares some features with other environmental Web sites, such as sustainability resource guides, green job sites, social networking, educational organizations and grant-making institutions, Greenopolis is unique in that it combines all of these opportunities in a single community.

Our specific goals for Greenopolis can be summarized with its slogan: "Learn. Act. Reward. Together":

 

LEARN - Serving as an Educational Outlet to Discuss Topics

Any environmental issue can be discussed. Greenopolis has a broad range of information accessible to users, aggregated from a number of institutions that have conducted studies, experiments, or observations centered on the environment.

Through Greenopolis, people can learn not only green facts - the average person generates 4.5 pounds of trash per day - but also usable information to change their behavior, like how driving a car 55 mph rather than 65 will give about 15 percent better fuel economy.

 

ACT - Producing Online and Offline Interaction

Greenopolis is a forum to engage individuals, communities and businesses. The site encourages everyone to participate in the discussion. Businesses will benefit from the site by sharing information and learning about ways in which to improve their sustainability practices. Individuals will benefit by having more information, as well as the potential to earn discounts on green products.

Another way Greenopolis will directly engage users offline is through Free'N Exchange, an interactive mapping tool that tells people where they can exchange items with other users to conserve landfill space and encourage reuse. For instance, if a person wants to dispose of old books, Free'N will tell them the location of a person or charity that will accept used reading materials.

 

REWARD - Rewarding the Collaborative Effort Between Individuals, Communities, and Businesses

Greenopolis allows users to earn savings on various green products and services. As they participate on the site users earn credits through our Points rewards system, which gives points every time a user participates on the site.

Within Greenopolis is the Marketplace, where points can be redeemed for products and services from participating partners. Currently, businesses are being encouraged to participate, and as the site grows so will the number of incentives being offered.

 

TOGETHER - Serving as a Networking Site for its Members

Greenopolis is free for anyone who wants to join, and is an educational resource for anyone interested in learning about sustainability. The site was created to connect people of different demographics who all share a common concern for the environment and are looking for the means in which to exchange ideas.