We’re excited to give you all an update on our great efforts with CarbonFund.org!

As many of you know, we’ve been donating proceeds from our opt in Carbon Free Plus Shipping every month to a few causes funded by CarbonFund.org. Basically, every time one of our customers chooses to pay a small amount to offset the carbon footprint of their shipping costs, we put it aside and then donate all of the money to CarbonFund.org at one time, each month.

We’re thrilled to let you all know thus far we’ve donated over $2000.00, in 2009 alone, towards our favorite projects!

• January: $863.72
• February: $593.48
• March: $487.12
• April: $502.55

So where is the money going? We’ve selected projects that relate to renewable energy production and the reduction of emissions due to shipping. Check out our selected projects:

• 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.

We’re really excited to see the consistent interest of our customers relating to offsetting the impact of their shipping on the environment. We’ll keep you posted on our May and June donations, and in the meantime, if you’re interested in calculating your carbon footprint, check out the CarbonFund.org calculator and learn about what you may be able to do to help the environment!

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.

As we announced back in August, Planet Shoes partners with CarbonFund.org to purchase Carbon Offsets on behalf of our clients to offset the impact of shipping all of our shoes. This voluntary service has become a runaway success and we’re thrilled to announce we’ve made our first contribution to CarbonFund.org on behalf of our PlanetShoes.com customers!

One reason we were excited to work with CarbonFund.org is that you can choose, as a donor, the project portfolio in which you invest your funds. Planet has chosen the Renewables and Methane portfolio, which supports clean energy development like wind, solar, geothermal and biomass.

Specifically, PlanetShoes.com will be supporting the following projects:

SunEdison Solar Projects
Location: Aliso Viejo, Stockton, Ontario, and Anderson, California
Owner/Developer: SunEdison

According to CarbonFund.org, SunEdison is working with companies, organizations and individuals to change purchasing of solar power. One of the largest obstacles to large solar power installations is the upfront cost, and SunEdison is removing that obstacle by purchasing and installing solar electric power and simply requiring the company, organization or individual to pay for the electricity itself.

SunEdison is currently North America’s largest solar energy services provider and by funding this project, solar power is becoming widely adopted by organizations who couldn’t otherwise afford the initial costs of the technology.

Customer Testimonials from SunEdison.com Projects

“SunEdison was selected by the California State University system because there were no up-front costs to the University. The entire solar project, the installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting is covered by SunEdison with no out-of-pocket costs to the University. Basically, we are leasing our roof to SunEdison, they come in and install their panels, and we pay them a fixed rate with an annual escalation for the power generated from the solar panels over the next 20 years.” Mike Bates, Energy & Facilities Trades Manager, CSU, Chico

“SunEdison’s service model has been a true win-win for Staples - no capital expenses, no operating expenses, and no hassles. We’re lowering our energy costs even as we reduce our carbon emissions. It is definitely a great way to go solar.” Mark Buckley, VP of Environmental Affairs, Staples, Inc.

Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center
Location: Wingate, Texas
Owner/Developer: FPL Energy

CarbonFund.org is also a supporter of wind energy. Horse Hollow is the largest wind farm in the United States. Based in Taylor, Texas and spread out over 47 acres, FPL Energy maintains this facility that generated 213 MW of power.

With 142 wind turbines generating clean power, this is only one of the facilities being maintained and developed by FPL Energy, who generate enough power nationwide to power one million residential homes.

IdleAire
Location: Nationwide
Owner/Developer: IdleAire

PlanetShoes.com had a vested interest in reducing the carbon footprint of shipping, so by supporting IdleAire, we feel we’re having a direct impact on some less than optimal side effects of our business model. IdleAire reduces tailpipe emissions of 18 wheeler trucks that transport consumer goods all over the United States by installing a small device in the cab of the truck that removes the need to keep the truck idling for power.

This device heats, cools and powers the truck interior allowing truckers to sleep and rest comfortably, play the radio and even check email during their federally mandated 10 hours of rest per day.

By eliminating unnecessary idling time, this program reduces wear and tear on engines, offers better and more complete rest for the driver and saves approximately a gallon of diesel fuel per hour, per truck – which adds up to an amazing savings both in reducing fossil fuel use, and carbon emissions.

We’re really excited with the success of the Carbon Free Plys Shipping initiative, and by choosing projects in different renewable energy development sectors and carbon emission lowering projects, we feel like we’re having the best impact we can.  We look forward to investing much more in the future!

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently published its list of vetted carbon offset projects. We’re proud to see CarbonFund.org so frequently on this list, supporting such great projects.

If you are curious about carbon offsets and want to a find great project to support, head over to the Environmental Defense Fund!

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.