Common Sustainability Mistakes Companies Make

Julie Starr • May 26, 2021



It’s no secret that companies need to focus their energy on ensuring that their practices are sustainable. We all need to do our part if we’re going to stand any chance of avoiding climate change catastrophe, and that includes both at a personal and corporate level. Companies that do work to improve their environmental record won’t just be doing the right thing, either — they’ll also be more likely to win over customers. The public is increasingly opting to give their money to businesses that show a wider moral conscience, especially younger customers.

Of course, sheer will won’t make your company more sustainable. You need to work on making it so. During the process, you’ll want to avoid some of the common mistakes that many companies make when they’re transitioning to more eco-friendly practices. We take a look at some of the most common errors below.

Token Gestures 

If you’re going to transition to become an environmentally friendly business, then it’s important that you’re doing more than just token gestures. Recycling your paper is important, but it won’t get to the heart of the problem. It’s best to look at making large changes that’ll have an impact 5, 10 years down the line. The world is going to move towards being more environmentally friendly, not less. If you’re just doing the bare minimum, then you’ll always be playing catch up, so look at dedicating time, energy, and money to getting things right at the first time of asking.

Where They Work

It’s not just the working practices that impact a company’s environmental record. The stuff around those practices has an impact, too. For example, let’s take the building . A company could enact plenty of eco-friendly aspects into their day-to-day operations, but if they’re working in a building that is decidedly bad for the environment, then the effects of their efforts will be minimal. The extent to how much you can impact the eco-qualities of your building will depend on whether you own or rent the building, but there’s always something that you can do.

Outdated Appliances 

As well as the building, it’s worthwhile looking at your company’s infrastructure. They might not be as good for the environment as they could be. If you haven’t updated your printer, lights, and other hardware in some time, then it’s possible that they’re energy-drainers. Investing in newer models won’t only be good for the planet, but they’ll likely save you money. These things do require a greater upfront investment, but they end up paying for themselves, as well as bringing other benefits to your company.

Sustainable Communication

There’s always a way to do things in a manner that benefits the planet. Take how you communicate with your customers. If you’re sending out paper marketing, or they need to visit you in person every time they have an issue, then you’ll be using up more resources than are necessary. Instead, look at doing things in a smarter way. In the digital age, there’s no reason for companies to send out printed materials. How your customers communicate with you can also change. Rather than asking the public to visit them in person, companies should offer digital communication methods. Looking to add chat to your website or having a customer service telephone number will reduce your carbon footprint while still ensuring that the customer experience remains positive. It’s what all the big companies are doing.

Lack of Investment 

You have to spend money to make money. It’s true that not all environmental changes will come free, or cheap. Sometimes, the changes that you have to make will come at what seems like a considerable cost. However, it’s worthwhile paying the price — for starters, those changes will last for many years. Second, it’s an investment . They’ll pay for themselves eventually. Plus, in an age when companies that don’t show a concern for the environment will be left behind, not making the investment could prove to be a big error later on down the line.

Conducting a Full Analysis 

You can’t figure out where you need to go until you know where you are. It’s worthwhile looking at your current setup and identifying where you’re currently acting in an unsustainable way. Everyone knows the basics of switching to an environmentally friendly operation. However, while there are things that all companies can do, it’s important to remember that each business is different. If you can perform a thorough review of current practices, you might just discover that you have one or two issues that are causing more damage than you realized. 

Trying To Do Everything Themselves

It can pay to bring outsiders in. After all, you don’t have all the skills needed to run your business. Indeed, your expertise will lie in the products or services that you offer. Other things, such as marketing and legal and the rest, will require help from elsewhere. This principle can apply to your environmental practices, too. There are companies and individuals out there that can provide a more detailed analysis of what you should change than you can. In an age when it’s easier than ever to outsource work, there’s no reason to do everything all by yourself.

Only Showing Concern For The Environment Through Marketing

By far the greatest danger — to the environment and the company’s reputation — is to focus on greenwashing your company . It’s easy to incorporate earth-friendly rhetoric into your marketing materials, but if you’re only paying lip service to the environment, then eventually, it’ll backfire. The world is shifting to greener policies, and in a few years, the businesses that didn’t take it seriously will be left behind. Plus, let’s not forget that customers aren’t stupid. They can see through companies that are just saying what they think the public wants to hear. So make sure that your earth-friendly operations run through all that you do, rather than just being something that you say to curry favor with consumers.

Eco Supply Chain 

You’re not running your company in isolation. You’ll have suppliers, partners, and so on. So it’s worthwhile looking at the eco-credentials of the other companies that you work with. While you might have good practices at your company, if you’re hiring companies with a less than stellar environmental record, then that’ll fall on you, too. Plus, the world will only change if people and companies stop giving their money to businesses that cause harm to the environment. Have the same standards for the companies you hire as you do for your own company. 

Not Taking the Employee’s Views on Board 

The environmental policies that you enact at your company should come from the bottom up, not the top down. Part of the logic behind this is because eco-friendly policies must run through everything you do, rather than just at the top level of your operations. The other reason is that you’ll be more likely to miss something if you focus at the top. A good way to get around this common mistake is to take your employees’ views on board. They’ll likely know where things could be improved, simply because they’re working on the “shop floor” every day. If all the decisions are made at an executive level, then something will be overlooked. This is a generally good rule for all decisions related to your company, not just ones related to the environment.

Overly Ambitious Goals 

It’s good to be driven by passion when it comes to making improvements to your business. But if you’ve never thought about your company’s environmental record before, then it’s a good idea to start slow. While it’s noble to want to change everything and to become a champion of the environment, if you have overly ambitious goals, then it’ll be more likely that you’ll lose focus. Get the basics under control and then you can think about stepping up and doing more. If you are going to set ambitious goals, then be sure to make your plans as detailed as possible, with realistic time frames in mind.

Getting Stuck 

Finally, let’s think about your ongoing commitment to the environment. It’s good to start with the basics, but that shouldn’t be the end of your journey. There are new eco-friendly practices coming out all the time. Indeed, in the space of a couple of years, there’ll be new ways of doing things. Once you’ve finished your current transition to earth-friendly practices, keep on top of what new developments are coming out and other ways that you can improve. You could consider creating an environment officer role at your business; it’ll be their job to stay abreast of developments. It’s all about developing in line with new ways of doing things. 

Conclusion

It’s up to all of us to do better for the planet. Take our tips above, and it won’t be long before you can feel like you’re playing your role. In an age when concern for the climate is becoming more mainstream and important than ever, now’s the perfect time to look at improving your business. 

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.