Like Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, July 4 and any other day on the calendar that some marketer can seize upon as an excuse to get Americans to go to the mall or online and buy a bunch of crap they don’t need (and probably can’t afford), Earth Day has become a shopping opportunity.

My inbox gets flooded at this time of year with some of the most inane emails you’d ever want to see. My friend Matt Wheeland has made an Earth Day tradition of writing about these pitches, so I thought I’d share some of mine, too.

An online shopping site came at me with an original idea for Earth day: plant a tree. Way to think outside the box, guys!

With Earth Day (4/22/12) approaching, online shopping site Extrabux will plant a tree for every purchase made on its site from Thursday, 4/19 through Sunday, 4/22. They’re planning on planting thousands of trees.

I can offer an expert to discuss. He can also talk about why shopping online is 15-50% greener than shopping in stores.

Earth Day is for pets, too:

Earth Day 2012 -- April 22nd -- is just around the corner. Thanks to the latest innovations from Dog Gone Smart and Imperial Cat, reducing your carbon paw print with earth friendly pet products is easier than ever.

Pet beds, leashes, harnesses and more that repel dirt, grime and stains! Besides being made with technologically smart fabrics, these pet products even prevent the growth and spread of bacteria and viruses. Cut down on waste by choosing pet products with 4x the life of competitive options. For more information on these resistant pet pieces with more life, visit Dog Gone Smart’s 100% wind powered website, www.doggonesmartpetproducts.com.

Is there a better day than Earth Day to shop for towels, bedding and sheets?:

With Earth Day just around the corner, everyone is thinking about ways to become more eco-friendly and environmentally aware, especially in the home. From your bathroom, bedroom and even to your nursery, there are different ways in which you can revamp and instill a bit of “green” into your living spaces for Earth Day.

Coyuchi, the first company to bring 100% organic cotton to the U.S., has a variety of items available to spruce up your home for Earth Day that will rejuvenate -- body, mind and spirit, turning your home into an organic sanctuary.

Best of all, Coyuchi is running an Earth Day Sale which invites everyone to enjoy nature and 25% off select Coyuchi items!

Speaking of bedding, Earth Day is a good day to green your sex life:

Just in time for Earth Day, Good Vibrations, the trusted San Francisco-based company that takes pride in providing accurate information on sexuality and toys for grown-ups, releases the results of its recent survey about its customers’ attitudes about greening their sexuality.

Feeling bold? Consider an eco-revolutionary approach to Earth Day:

Whether you are already working on an Earth Day product round up or would be interested in featuring an eco-brand, I would love for you to keep A Lot To Say, Inc. in mind. They offer a great line of eco-revolutionary products for every style and need!

These eco-revolutionary products, it turns out, are T-Shirts and tote bags made from “100% Post Consumer Plastic Bottles and a No Water Dye Process.” To the barricades, friends! The polluters must be quaking in their boots.

Check out the rest of our Earth Day coverage:

• Earth Day Fail: The worst pitches of 2012
• How corporations are celebrating Earth Day 2012
• Has Earth Day marketing jumped the shark?
• Earth Day and the polling of America

Closeup of female shopper by Kzenon via Shutterstock.