Sustainability at Spitz Groom

For us, sustainability isn't just a trend; it's a deep-rooted belief that we only have one earth and we all need to do our part to keep it healthy and happy for many generations to come. 

 

As part of our commitment to sustainability and our community, we wanted to take an opportunity to share with you some ways in which we are living by this value.

Sustainability is an ongoing endeavour, and while there may be initiatives that we have missed on this page, we hope this gives you an insight into our commitment.

 

1. We divert up to 95% of our landfil waste to genuine RECYCLING facilities by being part of the 'Sustainable Salons' network. This partnership allows us to completely completely recycle waste HAIR/FUR, PLASTICS, METAL, PAPER and more...

*CLICK HERE to find out more about Sustainable Salons*

 

We also supply dog hair/fur to local crafters where it is either spun into a wool-like fibre and knitted / crotcheted, OR it's used for needle-felting. 

At the request of owners, we can arrange to have the fur of your dog spun into a wool-like fibre and then crafted into an item of your choosing. 

The above picture shows skeins in a basket which have been spun from the fur of various dog breeds. The cushion displayed next to the basket is made from Samoyed fur which was first spun and then woven. Credit for this amazing work goes to Marianne Wheatland

 

2. We use SOLAR POWERED Split Systems.

Our building was built Circa 1900 and consists of a double-brick exterior, and mostly high ceilings (and zero insulation 🥲) meaning it gets quite uncomfortable after a few days of consistent sunshine or cold.

Split systems are an absolute necessity for us to keep the temperature comfortable for both ourselves and our furry friends, but these can be quite power hungry. We now have our AC turn on automatically each morning knowing that the sun is powering it 100% during the daytime. For cloudy days, we can switch to grid power, but most of the time this isn't even necessary. It's SO COOL!! ❄️ (couldn't help the pun, sorry! 😂)

*CLICK HERE to find out more about who supplied our Solar Powered split systems* 

 

3. We upgraded all lighting in our salon to LED lighting.

This was one of the first upgrades that we made when moving into our salon. According to our research, this helped in cutting down electricity usage by around 85% (unbelievable!)

 

4. We choose food suppliers (for meals and treats) who use sustainable (and ethical) farming practices.

Our value of sustainability isn't just about how WE do things... it extends to our choices on how our partners and vendors do things too.

 

5. Our own retail products are packaged and sent out using recycled packaging (where possible).

We often re-use packaging (boxes or bubble) too, so if you see something that doesn't feel like an environmentally conscious choice, it's likely to have been re-used! 

 

6. We choose sustainable options when it comes to consumables such as loo roll, tissues, paper towel and dog poop bags.

Thank you to our friends at 'who gives a crap' 

 

 

 

 

Future Goals:

The following ideas have not yet been assessed as viable or credible, but are some thoughts in other ways we can help to be more sustainable in the future. 

 

1. Offsetting carbon from postage

2. Composting dog poop

3. More solar panels and maybe even an inverter (to store or redistribute any excess power that we produce)

4. Water tanks and recycling/cleaning facility to recycle rain water

 

If you have any suggestions or feedback, we would love to hear from you!