3 Things That Every Sustainable Business Website Should Include

Julie Starr • May 19, 2020



Sustainability has become a hot topic in the business sector, but becoming a sustainable business is about more than hollow promises and stated company goals. Being a truly sustainable business is about taking tangible sustainability actions, and communicating these clearly with your consumers.

When it comes to communicating your sustainability message with potential buyers and building a brand identity, your company website is usually a great place to start. Here are three things that you will want to make sure that you include.

A clear message to your stakeholders
Whether you have a separate CSR page on your website or choose to incorporate your sustainability message into your ‘About Us’ page, it is important that somewhere on your website you have a clear message for your key stakeholders detailing your company’s sustainability measures. It’s important to remember that your key stakeholders may have different things that they care about, for example, your suppliers may be most concerned about sustainable supply chain initiatives whereas your customers may want to see how your CSR plan affects them and your employees. Try to create a message that appeals in some way to everyone who may be visiting your website to learn more about your sustainability message, and remember that you can always provide more information to each stakeholder group through more targeted pages on your website.

Links to your social media channels
Social media is an essential part of a sustainability communications strategy and therefore is now a very important consideration when designing a website with sustainability in mind. Social media is the perfect place for your business’s sustainability claims and physical actions to align, demonstrating the tangible things that your company does on a daily basis to work towards their sustainability goals. This information shouldn’t just be restricted to those who follow your social media, and so you may want to include live-feeds from your social media channels on your website to spark a conversation, or at the very least you should link through to your social media accounts to encourage those who are interested to see more to follow you.

Proof that you live by your own sustainability values
Your CSR or sustainability web page may outline your sustainability goals and highlight what you plan to do to achieve them, but what people really want to see is that you and your employees embody your own values. A great way to demonstrate that you truly live and breathe your own sustainability message is to include information about personal sustainability efforts within the biographies of your key staff members. This could be something like the COO cycling to work, your marketing manager volunteering for a local food-waste charity, or the fact that your intern loves to shop zero-waste. At a broader level, you may also want to include information on smaller sustainability measures that you put in place for your staff members on a daily basis, be that the provision of plant-based lunches or reusable bottles.

These are just three of the things that you will want to make sure that you include on your business website. For more information on how to develop a sustainability-focused brand or how to communicate your sustainability strategy, then get in touch.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.