Can Anything Be Done To Make Manufacturing More Sustainable?

Julie Starr • May 31, 2022



If we want to make the modern economy more sustainable , we need to address inefficiencies in manufacturing. For more than 100 years, manufacturing has been a poster child for environmental challenges. The “dark satanic mills” of the 19th century fired the popular imagination and led many people to believe that manufacturing was humanity’s greatest sin. 

The truth is a little more nuanced than that. Modern factories are actually incredibly clean and careful with their waste production. Heavy-duty chemical pallets for industrial use are often sustainable in their materials, too. But you could be doing more. You could be looking at the materials you choose with more depth. Businesses are doing plenty to ensure that they are sustainable right now.  However, they could go further. In this post, we take a look at all the things that manufacturers could do to make their operations more sustainable .

Save Time

Sometimes simply speeding up your operations or running a cycle faster without using more energy can result in less impact on the environment . If you can get more done in a shorter amount of time, then you can shut down your systems and save on power. In a large-scale production facility, you may be able to reduce how many machines you need to turn out the same quantity of products.

Share Power Between Machines

Factories often lose a lot of energy in the form of heat. When machines spin up to their full-cycle speed, they either dissipate energy into manufactured products or in the form of heat as they wind down. The latter is problematic because it represents wasted energy. 

However, power-sharing among machine tools is becoming more popular. For instance, seaming machines and cutting machines often share power through a single wire. By sharing servos and other opponents that contain kinetic energy the system can redistribute power between different functions when required by the process itself. This is a little bit like how hybrid cars take waste energy from braking and use it to charge the engine.

Choose Your Vendors Wisely

Another thing you can do to make your enterprise more sustainable is to choose your vendors wisely. Find a metal component manufacturer that focuses on reducing their carbon emissions and waste. Look for vendors who actively promote their green credentials.

Reduce Or Eliminate Pollution

Consumers are becoming increasingly educated on the environmental effects of the production of certain materials. They will often reject consumer items made according to manufacturing processes that generate potentially damaging byproducts. For instance, consumers are interested in machinery that uses as little coolant as possible or in manufacturing processes that reduce the number of offcuts. 

Recycle More

Recycling has become a major issue at trade shows and conferences. It is no longer acceptable for companies to fill giant hoppers with waste material and then send them to landfills. Consumers now want them to account for all of the energy that they use in their production processes, not just the energy cost of material that goes directly into products. 

In many cases, manufacturers are addressing this issue by bringing recycling facilities on-site . By moving facilities in this way, they are reducing the energy costs associated with transporting items large distances, cutting down on energy use even further.

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.