3 Ways Businesses Struggle To Incorporate Sustainability

Julie Starr • June 17, 2021



What is your definition of a sustainable business ? Your definition will be different from an environmental activist or a business executive. When we address the idea of sustainability, we must recognize that the term “sustainability” can be interpreted in so many different ways. We can use our sustainability lens and put our own spin on things. This means there can be a lack of accountability, especially for those businesses that claim to be sustainable, but cannot provide the proper evidence. What are the main reasons it is hard to be a sustainable business?

A Lack of Defining Its Value

Sustainability is open to interpretation. But this means we’ve got to shift business practices to be environmentally friendly, but we must define its value for us. A sustainable business can undertake a box-ticking exercise, and work with the right components, whether this is the right IT support company or deal with suppliers who have the appropriate perspective of ethics, the reality is that we’ve got to determine how valuable it is. We can do this by calculating the savings from purchasing renewable energy, for example, but we also must realize that it is an upfront cost. So rather than determining its value through figures and numbers, we’ve got to decide how being sustainable will benefit us. We all know that it’s beneficial to the planet, but when we have a solid definition, much like we would when conducting our business plan, we are venturing into it with our eyes open.

Not Comprehending the Impacts of Consuming Less

To be sustainable, we have to encourage customers to consume a lot less of everything. This is what we are told by environmental experts, and this can be anathema to business models. However, it’s important to remember that you can find the balance. You can conduct your business with a minimalist attitude but also advocate for sustainability practices you believe in. We cannot guarantee our customers will purchase less, but this is why we need to attract customers who are interested in the message. When they listen to the message, we have done everything we can.

Not Understanding the Impact of Collective Action

We can be sustainable in an environmental and ethical sense, but we can also realize that it is an overwhelming challenge that we may not be ready for. Because the biggest problem with using natural resources is that if we do not use them, somebody else will, which means that so many businesses develop a mindset to deplete important resources. Because if they don’t use them to get ahead, their business suffers. But this is why you can get around the problem by working with nonprofits, and spearhead schemes that can stay on the right side of sustainability. There are countless examples in the world in the food industry where companies are actively working to reduce the use of single-use plastics, and only use recyclable materials. The fact is your heart may be in the right place, but if you really want to become a sustainable business, you need to be aware that it can be a massive challenge.

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.