Why Go Green

Protect Our Environment

Today, more people consistently 'go green' and make environmentally friendly choices. But what does being green really mean? Well, honestly, it means different things to different people. Typically, it means being more aware of how your individual behavior may impact the environment. You don't have to become an activist, join a group, picket or live in a tree house to be considered 'green.' YOU can make small changes to your everyday decisions that will cause less stress to the environment in the long run.

Alybeara is dedicated to not only a high quality of life for your dog but for the quality of life for you, our valued visitors and pet owners, as well.

Why We've Gone Green

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world population is reaching new heights every day. Population counts reached 1 billion people in 1800, and by 1922, that number doubled. The millennium saw over 6 billion people on earth. People who keep track of such statistics predict our earth will be home to over 9 billion by the year 2049. If you average use of natural resources worldwide, people living in 2050 will only have one quarter of the earth's resources available as compared to people living in 1950. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.

That is a staggering revelation, especially when you consider that earth has a fixed amount of natural resources and as we all become more aware... we now know that some of our resources are already diminished. The increase in population growth strains natural resources available to us. It is responsible and prudent to preserve the earth for future generations.

As dog owners, we invest a sound amount in the purchase and maintenance of our happy, healthy dogs. Who better than a dog owner to understand loyalty and caring. There is actually a lot dog owners can do to contribute to preserving soil, water and air.

Some of the greatest threats to future resources come from things we throw away everyday. Household dog food cans, batteries and electronic dog collars often contain dangerous chemicals that may, if sent to a local landfill, leak through the bottom barrier and pollute the groundwater. This can contaminate everything from the soil in which our food grows, to the water which eventually comes out of aquifers and into our tap water. Many of these chemicals cannot be removed from the drinking water supply, nor from the crops that are harvested from contaminated fields. The risks to human health are tremendous.

Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved by recycling. The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes full or used to capacity, we build a new one, and the cycle continues.

The less we throw away, the less landfills have to store. They last longer, and we need fewer of them, which has a huge impact when multiplied over years and decades.

For every ton of paper recycled, we save: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months. You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity saved by recycling one aluminum dog food can. Our choices and behaviors ripple across the world like a rock skimming across a lake. And it keeps going and going, impacting us, our family and even our neighbors on the other side of the world for years. What we buy, what we do or do not recycle, what we “throw away” has an impact on an evermore interconnected planet. If we want to maintain the standard of living we currently enjoy and pass it on to our posterity, it will take an all-hands effort to preserve the foundation of that standard of living – clean air, water and soil.

We are all at the beginning of an important new shift in the way we treat our world. As dog parents and business owners, my family and I embrace the concept of caring for our world and all who live here on earth, including our dogs. We believe through conscious effort and simple behavior shifts, we can contribute to the preservation of our environment.

As a dog owner, there are steps you can take to help the environment. As web owners, here some of the initiatives we already embrace to ensure that our impact on the environment is reduced today... and for the future.

Business paperwork:

We reduce the amount of paperwork we generate. The packing and shipping of thousands of packages per day requires an enormous amount of paper products from invoices, pulling and packing slips, and cardboard boxes. We support digital invoice/receipts and pdf documents online.

A receiving dock processes hundreds of pounds of cardboard every day in the form of boxes wrapped around boxes of the many delivery's from manufacturers. Whenever applicable, we support the re-use of boxes and envelopes to ship orders. Our commitment to reduce paperwork means that you might receive dog supplies in a box that may have some of the manufacturers printing on it. It's worth it to help save hundreds of trees per year and eliminate the pollution that would result if these boxes were sent to an incinerator.

We work with manufacturers and suppliers to cut down on the amount of packaging used on individual products sold and shippedl. This means that you don't have to wade through as much shrink-wrapping to get to the pet supplies shipped to you. You have less packaging materials to throw away after receiving your order, and smaller packages also mean less weight, which helps keep your shipping cost lower. Less plastic, paper and Styrofoam translates into less waste in our landfills. Less weight for freight companies means less fuel used to deliver your order, thus cutting down on pollution. Less waste in the manufacturing process helps keep both our air and water cleaner. Working with many of pet suppliers, the use of separate pull sheets (what the warehouse personnel use to get to pull your order together), packing slips and invoices has been reduced. Now, there is only 1 piece of paper generated per order. This means, you may receive a packing slip with your order that has warehouse markings and notes written on it. By using 1/3 less paper per order (multiplied by 20,000 orders a year or more), many trees are left standing, and there is 2/3 less waste that ends up in our landfills or gets burned in incinerators.

In our office, light bulbs used are long-life, florescent bulbs. This may seem like a small contribution to the environment, but the benefits are larger than they seem: Brighter lights mean more accuracy when processing your order. Since the light burns much cooler than incandescent lighting, less energy is used to cool the office, meaning lower energy costs - which means lower overhead costs passed to you.

At home, we are diligent, as well. You can do the same:

1. Switch off and unplug electronic devices. Make sure the TV, DVD, computer, etc. are powered down when not in use. Appliances that are plugged in are still drawing electricity, so remember to unplug them.

2. Adjust the temperature on your water heater. Showers account for two-thirds of all water heating costs. Try to shave a few minutes off your shower time, which will lower your utility bill, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from your home. You can also purchase "low-flow" shower heads.

3. Replace your normal light bulbs with fluorescent, energy-saving light bulbs. This can help you save at least $60 a year in utility costs.

4. Make the switch to energy-efficient appliances. And once you have them, keep them clean. Regularly changing your air conditioner filter or cleaning the gaskets and coils on your refrigerator will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions and can lower your utility bill.

5. Reuse instead of using something new. A simple example is for your daily cup of coffee, take your own cup or mug. And you’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s time to make the switch. Instead of taking a bag every time you buy something, make a habit of carrying reusable bags with you. Once you make it a habit, it’s easy.

There is more we can do, and we continually come up with new ideas, but even these small steps make a difference. For ideas you can use with your dog and in your home.

Thank you for visiting www.alybeara.com and for recycling. Go Green!