Build A Sustainable Brand: 7 Tips To Keep In Mind

Julie Starr • May 3, 2022



Consumers are putting brands under an increasing amount of scrutiny when deciding whether or not they’ll do business with them. They’ll want to check off various quality checks before buying anything. One of the more notable parts of this is sustainability; more and more consumers focus on it.

Figuring out how to build a sustainable brand can seem complicated, although there are some obvious measures, including:

  • Using sustainably-sourced materials for products.
  • Implementing environmentally-friendly best practices during manufacturing.
  • Using sustainable and environmentally-friendly product packaging.

While that may be enough for some consumers, it mightn’t be for others. Building a sustainable brand means going above and beyond. As a business owner, you’ll need to focus on a few areas when doing so.

Why Build A Sustainable Brand?

Some business owners may wonder why they should build a sustainable brand. It offers multiple benefits, with the most notable being that it’s good for the environment. The manufacturing of products can have a detrimental impact on forests, oceans, and wildlife. By becoming sustainable, you avoid this.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of this . They’re turning away from non-sustainable brands because of this. It makes solid business sense to become a sustainable brand; by doing so, you can better attract customers that wouldn’t otherwise have been an option for you.

What Is A Sustainable Brand?

Quite a few business owners believe that a sustainable brand is simply one that recycles. While that may have been the case decades ago, it no longer is. It’s much larger than that. In today’s day and age, being a sustainable brand encompasses:

  • Reducing all environmental impacts the company has.
  • Having a positive impact whenever possible.
  • Being ethical and sustainable in all areas.
  • Understanding the supply chain and ensuring traceability.
  • Providing transparency within and outside the business.

That involves a significant amount of work. To accomplish this, you’ll need to know how to build a sustainable brand. That can be more complicated than many entrepreneurs believe, although it doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

Keeping a few tips in mind and following several steps will ensure that you create a sustainable brand. Though you’ll have to put in the work, it can be simpler than you’d expect.

How To Build A Sustainable Brand: 7 Tips To Use

1. Implement Artificial Intelligence & Automation

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are having increasingly large implications on companies around the world. These can be felt in multiple ways, such as increasing productivity. You can even use an AI content generator to help your business.

They also make tasks much easier. The technological advancements are having multiple other implications on top of this. They can help your company become more sustainable. While you’ll need to implement the right AI and automation tools, they can help you reduce waste.

That’ll be felt not only in your product’s manufacturing process but also in how your company uses electricity and energy. The more focused you are with this, the better it can help your business.

2. Offer Sustainability Training

One of the most effective ways to build a sustainable brand is to offer sustainability training to your employees . You could be surprised by how little many employees know about sustainability and environmental causes. By educating them, you can help them minimize their impact.

That’ll not only be seen in their work, but it could also impact how they do things at home. That could lead to a positive domino effect. There are more than a few training options you can take advantage of. These don’t need to take too long and could be shorter than you’d expect.

3. Use Green Web Hosting

Many companies overlook their websites when building a sustainable brand. When they do think of it, it’s used as a way to tout how sustainable they are. You could go further than this by choosing green web hosting. Unlike more traditional hosting, this has a much smaller impact on the environment.

That’s seen in various ways, such as using sustainable energy and contributing to environmentally-friendly causes. Traditional hosting uses up a lot of energy, which is how it harms the environment. By choosing a green alternative, you don’t need to worry about this. There are quite a few of these options to choose from.

4. Think About Remote Work

One of the more overlooked ways that employees impact the environment is how their employees get to and from work. They’ll often need cars, which release harmful gases into the environment. The same can be said for public transport, though to a lesser extent.

You can minimize this by offering remote work to any employee that can feasibly work from home . By doing this, you cut out the carbon emissions that they have. With no commute, they’ll have no environmental impact in getting to and from work.

Though you’ll need to adapt how your company operates because of this, it’s a recommended option.

5. Partner With An Environmental Organization

If you want to build a sustainable brand, it’s recommended that you partner with an environmental organization. There are multiple ways you can do so, each of which can be beneficial to you.

One of the more common ways this is done is through donating a percentage of sales to the non-profit you partner with. You could also co-host events that highlight the charity’s efforts and work.

Taking this approach offers multiple benefits, with the sustainability advantages being one of the more obvious. It can also be effective for your marketing, as it helps tie your brand to sustainability and charitable efforts.

6. Pay Suppliers Fairly

One of the main ways to build a sustainable brand is to pay an equitable wage. That goes beyond your employees; you’ll also need to do so with your suppliers and vendors. You should go beyond paying them fairly and pay them a living wage.

Choosing to pay above-average rates is the ethical and socially-equitable thing to do and drives your brand’s sustainability efforts. You should look through your entire supply chain and see where you can increase your financial efforts. If any suppliers are underpaid, then they should receive a pay hike.

Though this means cutting into your profits, doing so improves your overall sustainability. You’ll still need to be smart about this, however. While you should pay equitable wages, you should ensure you can afford it. You can’t build a sustainable brand if your brand goes out of business, after all.

7. Be Committed

If you want to build a sustainable brand, you’ll need to be committed to it. You’ll have to go beyond deciding that you want to be sustainable. You should write a commitment to sustainability; this should be written and signed by the CEO and other management before being distributed to staff.

You should also make it public so that current and potential customers know you’re committed to sustainability. It should bring together key stakeholders’ vision for the company’s sustainability efforts. You should see a commitment to sustainability as your initial building block to achieving these efforts; it’s something you can expand upon in time.

How To Build A Sustainable Brand: Wrapping Up

Figuring out how to build a sustainable brand can seem complicated to many entrepreneurs. It doesn’t have to be, however. Following a few specific steps and keeping certain tips in mind will be useful.

With each of the above, you’ll build a sustainable brand with ease. In doing so, you’ll not only decrease your business’ environmental impact but draw in new and repeat customers. There shouldn’t be anything getting in your way.

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.