7 Ways To Build An Eco-Friendly Parking Lot

Julie Starr • March 30, 2022



Many commercial buildings can benefit from having a parking lot for customers and employees. But have you considered the environmental impact that your parking lot could have? How you use the land for parking could affect the local ecosystem, your company’s carbon emissions and even the energy efficiency of your business. Below are just a few different tips for building an eco-friendly parking lot. 

Make room for trees and plants

While you may have limited land to turn into a parking lot, you should think twice before simply covering it all in asphalt. Allowing some room for trees, plants and grass will help to oxygenate the air and support local wildlife. This could be something as simple as growing a few bushes around your parking lot or planting a few trees around it. You may even be able to arrange your parking lot around any existing trees in order to preserve them. 

Opt for local gravel

A gravel driveway is generally more eco-friendly than an asphalt driveway as it relies mostly on natural or recycled stone. Some gravel companies import their stones from abroad, which of course does result in added carbon emissions. Using local gravel can help to reduce your company’s carbon footprint. You may even be able to take some from a local beach if you’re based near the coast. 

Opt for pervious concrete

 

Concrete and parking lot striping isn’t completely environmentally-friendly due to the way it is made, however, it is often made from natural materials, making it potentially greener than many synthetic surface options. One of the most eco-friendly forms of concrete to use is pervious concrete. This concrete allows water to pass through it. This can prevent puddles and flooding, as well as hydrating the earth below. This prevents the roots of plants around and in your car park from being starved of water. 

 

Seal your asphalt

Asphalt is often favored as a parking lot material because of its durability and affordability, however, it isn’t particularly eco-friendly. It does require less energy than concrete to produce but can produce VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which can pollute the air. Asphalt can be made more eco-friendly by sealing it. This preserves the life of asphalt for many years, reducing the need for repairs (which often requires extra transportation and production of asphalt). This could make it a greener investment than concrete. There are companies such as South Central Sealing and Paving that can install and seal asphalt for you. Any necessary repairs may be worth carrying out first. 

Use VOC-free paint

When it comes to painting your parking lot, it could be worth considering the type of paint that you use. A lot of paint produces high levels of VOCs, which are not good for local air quality. Fortunately, there are many paints nowadays that don’t produce these chemicals. Such paints may even be biodegradable. These are a much better choice for those that want to maintain an eco-friendly parking lot. 

Add EV charging stations

Electric vehicles are better for the environment than petrol and diesel engine vehicles. However, the lack of EV charging stations has put many people off from making the switch. Adding EV charging stations to your parking lot could be a great way of attracting and encouraging more EV users. Many places around the world now offer grants to businesses looking to install EV charging stations on their premises. In other words, you may be able to install a charging point for free. Think carefully about which bays to play chagrin stations in and signpost these clearly. This post features some information about where exactly to install EV charging stations in your parking lot. 

Install solar panel canopies

Solar panels are an eco-friendly source of power. They can also save owners money on their energy bills – instead of having to pay a supplier, you can rely on your own free electricity supply instead. Of course, they do cost quite a bit of money to install, however you’ll make your money back in the long run by not having to pay energy bills. Most businesses install solar panels on their property roof, however, there could be another option – installing solar panels in your car park. Solar panels could be added to the top of canopies, allowing cars to park in the shade while helping you to generate your own electricity. You could even use these solar panels to supply charging points with electricity. This Yale Environment 360 article goes into greater detail about why solar panel parking lot canopies are a good idea. 

 

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.