As you may know if you’ve been following PlanetShoes.com or our blog here, we offer a great service called Carbon Free Plus Shipping. Basically, this means all of our customers can opt to pay a little bit of extra money to help offset the Carbon Emissions that result from shipping their shoes.

We take all of those small donations and amass them into a larger fund that is then donated to CarbonFund.org. We looked closely at all the projects currently being funded by CarbonFund.org and we chose these three as the focus of our donations:

• New Bedford Landfill Methane Project - New Bedford, Mass.
• Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center - Taylor and Nolan County, Texas
• California Solar Projects - Aliso Viejo, Stockton, Ontario, and Anderson, Calif.

As more and more of our customers have learned about this option, they have been opting in with every order, so while our first donations to CarbonFund.org weren’t as robust as we’d like, we’re thrilled to let people know that our donations are growing exponentially each month.

In February alone, we were able to amass just under $600.00 to donate to CarbonFund.org, which is enough to offset approximately 132,000 lbs of CO2 emissions. To put this into perspective, this will offset the average emissions of six SUV’s over a year.

If you’re interested in learning more about Carbon Offsets and about what you can do to calculate your own carbon footprint, to the CarbonFund.org website and learn more about their programs.

Carbon offsets are basically a smaller scale and simpler method of emissions trading. The idea is that an individual, household or business uses a carbon calculator to identify their own carbon footprint. This takes in utility usage, travel, driving and numerous other lifestyle choices and turns it into a dollar figure that the same individual, family or business can then invest in various “green” projects.

In some cases, Carbon Offsets go towards the planting of trees and reforestation while other carbon offset funds go towards the construction of large scale wind and solar farms. In some cases the dollars even go towards reducing emissions.

There is some controversy about the carbon offset industry. Some activists believe all messaging should relate to reducing actual consumption and emissions and that offering people the opportunity to purchase offsets “lets them off the hook” in some manner.

It’s also important to remember the positive things that come out of Carbon Offsets:

1. Educational Opportunity: Every time someone clicks onto a site like CarbonFund.org and uses the carbon calculator, they are learning about the parts of their lifestyle that “cost” the earth the most. Even if they don’t purchase the carbon offsets equivalent to their footprint, they are becoming more aware of their consumption and emissions. Folks can also learn about carbon offsets and potentially get ideas about how they can support projects that are improving our environment. Perhaps they will go and plant a tree, or volunteer for a “green” organization because they’ve been reminded that their daily lifestyle has an impact on the environment.
2. People are empowered to do something. In daily life, its tough to find things you can do to make an impact. Maybe you spend the money on the re-usable bags for the grocery store, and you support local farms but if you can’t upgrade your home systems or purchase a more fuel efficient or hybrid vehicle, you can still participate in the environmental movement in some small way.
3. Everyone can see the kinds of work, projects and technology that are being developed through sites like CarbonFund.org. People can learn about the different gains towards renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation. They can see projects that are local and they can learn about the innovations in the industry.
4. Carbon offsets can make a great part of a whole shift towards an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Engaging in carbon offset purchase can be the first step, or one of many changes to reduce your carbon footprint.

Here at Planet Shoes, we believe in Carbon Offset purchasing and the projects CarbonFund.org supports. That’s why we offer the option of purchasing carbon offsets for the environmental impact of shipping materials. Learn even more about Carbon Offsets from:

CarbonFund.org

Planet Shoes Partners with CarbonFund.org; Consumers to Purchase Carbon Offsets

Planet Shoes is now offering Carbon-Free Plus Shipping as an option for consumers buying shoes and products online at PlanetShoes.com. Partnering with CarbonFund.org, Planet Shoes will purchase the carbon offsets equivalent to the environmental impact of the shipping materials and transport for customers who voluntarily chose the “CarbonFree Plus” shipping option.

While reducing your energy consumption must begin with individual lifestyle choices and behaviors, many people are also investing in Carbon Offsets as an alternative method of working towards reducing the effects of climate change. Carbon offsets are calculated by taking your energy consumption into account, and coming up with a dollar figure that you can then invest in alternative energy projects and technologies to “offset” the energy you use and the CO2 you create.

“Planet Shoes is passionate about the environment. We carry environmentally friendly shoes, including Earth Shoes, and likewise we want to find ways to “Green” our business processes. We’re already participating in a number of green programs, including encouraging ride share with NuRide.com and 1% For The Planet. When we discovered the option of purchasing carbon offsets to lower the footprint of shipping materials and transport, we went after the opportunity. This is a program where we can literally partner with our customers to improve the environment,” said Barry Bresnick, Executive Vice President of Planet, Inc.

As online shopping grows in popularity, so does the concern about the environmental impact of shipping materials and vehicles. Companies nationwide are looking at ways to “go green” without compromising on the quality of protective packaging and on the speed and efficiency with which their products are delivered. Planet Shoes is committed to doing so.

For a small additional fee, typically between $1.01 and $1.75 depending on the weight of the package and the distance it needs to travel, Planet Shoes will pool the individual consumer investment and purchase Carbon Offsets in bulk in the equivalent to the environmental impact created in shipping shoes or other products to their clients. This option is available to the vast majority of their customers who would normally qualify for free ground shipping within the continental US.

“Not everyone has the means to implement clean energy technology in their home, or even to substantially reduce their gas and oil consumption, at least not to the point where they could make a profound individual impact. By helping our customers to purchase carbon offsets, we feel like we’re making a difference and helping our customers to do the same, in a very painless way. If we all work together, we can combat environmental damage by making decisions like this and can use our business ethics to further the cause,” continued Bresnick.

About Planet Shoes

Planet Shoes, on the web at PlanetShoes.com is a family owned business dedicated to selling the most comfortable shoes possible at value prices. We specialize in Active, Comfortable, Healthy, Earth Friendly products with a flare of Fashion. Our product lines are ever expanding to bring our customer new fun footwear to choose from. We look at affordability and value in pricing our products. Customer service and unique products are our calling card. Planet Shoes strives to exceed your expectations.