4 Tips for Planning a Sustainable Event

Julie Starr • June 21, 2022



Did you know that the average event has a carbon footprint of 10,000 pounds and the typical event attendee produces nearly 2kg of waste per day? That’s a lot! Whether planning your company’s annual holiday party or hosting an external client as part of your PR strategy, sustainability should be one of your top priorities. The benefits are plentiful: green events increase employee happiness, customer loyalty, and company value. Best of all, implementing sustainable practices for your next event is easier! Read on for some top tips for planning a sustainable event:

Host locally to reduce travel times .

When planning your next event, think about where the best location would be for your Corporate event Venue — both in terms of price and sustainability. Hosting your event locally has many benefits, including reduced travel times. Planning an event in a nearby location cuts down on transportation costs, emissions, and wear-and-tear on the environment. If you’re planning an off-site event, look into carpooling options. Additionally, be sure to factor travel time into your event timeline plan to ensure everything is on time — no one likes a late event!

Rent equipment instead of buying

Hosting an event that requires massive amounts of equipment? Instead of purchasing it, why not consider renting it? Renting equipment is much more sustainable than buying it, even if you plan to use it again. Rental companies must follow strict regulations to ensure that the ability to reuse equipment is not damaged — meaning that renting equipment is much more sustainable than buying it. 

While renting equipment costs more than buying it, that cost is often offset by the fact that you don’t have to store it for years. Plus, you can return the equipment at the end of the event so that it can be used by someone else. Renting equipment also gives you options you may not have had if you had purchased the gear. You can pick the specific equipment you need, and you may even be able to choose the model if the rental company has various options.

Use local suppliers

Looking to build a relationship with a supplier? Consider using a local supplier to help reduce the carbon footprint of your event . Using local suppliers means that the supplier can ship products more efficiently, thereby reducing the CO2 emissions produced by transportation. Plus, it also cuts down on the amount of fuel that needs to be used and the amount of time your products are in transit. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, purchasing products from local suppliers also helps strengthen your company’s relationship with the community. You can find suppliers using a search engine like Google — plug in the type of goods you need and your city, and you’ll find lots of results! If you’re hosting an event and need food or drinks, consider choosing a local supplier to help reduce your event’s carbon footprint.

Go digital

While printed materials are essential during event planning, they aren’t as sustainable. Instead of printing materials, consider going digital. Not only is it more bearable, but it also has the added benefit of saving you money. This is particularly important if you have an event with an extensive guest list. Printing materials for a large number of people is not only a time-consuming project, but it’s also an expensive one. By going digital, you can avoid paying to print a large number of materials. With social media, you can communicate event details , manage RSVPs, and create a hashtag for attendees to use. Email marketing is another excellent way to get the word out about your event. Consider making an email series that promotes both your company and the event. Email marketing is also a great way to keep in touch with event attendees after the event is over.

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.