Company-Wide Green Policies Any Business Can Implement Today

Julie Starr • June 10, 2021



Going green is no longer a hip and cool FAD, it’s highly profitable. It’s clear now that the savings you make from being more eco-friendly as a business , are just too large to miss out on. Every business that wants to form a closer rapport with its customers, should be trying to implement as many green policies as possible. The financial incentive is there, the cultural significance is there, your employees will benefit too, so why not just go for it!?

Business travel

If your business sends marketing, sales, risk, and financial teams away on business, you should be devising green policies for them to follow. For example, if your risk team is flying out to inspect a new production facility or perhaps the manufacturing plant of a joint venture partner, they should be flying economy only, hiring an electric or hybrid car, and using public transport to get around. No more flying first class, driving fancy cars and or having a private car hire company to ferry them around. Business travel is expensive and polluting, so cutting down on your costs and carbon footprint in one like this, is highly recommended.

File storage

Most companies now use a wholly cloud service strategy for their computing needs. However, some still use a hybrid approach because they do not want all of their data to be stored in one place. Okay fine, rather than using real-world storage and your existing cloud storage service, use remote file access for your mobile workforce . This way your remote teams can utilize it, even if they are not working within the cloud because of poor internet at an airport, coffee shop or public transport. The files can be accessed without needing to use a VPN, which is incredibly useful if you have remote workers across the world who may not be allowed to have access to your cloud computing service. 

Recycling everything

Many companies think their recycling efforts will go as far as recycling their office paper. Clearly, this is not enough. Your business should make an enterprise-wide sweep of green policies that focus on recycling everything. Recycling your paper, packaging, waste products such as bottles, cans, cardboard etc, is all part and parcel of integrated recycling policies. To facilitate greener policies, you need to make them simple to adhere to. Employees should have immediate access to recycling trash cans, so they don’t need to walk too far away from their desks to throw away their juice bottles and chip bags. 

Eco-friendly awareness

Even though you may have such policies in place, a little bit of literature that makes your employees aware of their obligations as employees regarding green policies, goes a long way. A monthly green target email newsletter could be sent to your employees to remind them of the business’ aims for eco-friendly policy targets. 

Start making green policies that will impact every area of your enterprise. In a couple of years, every business will be obligated by regulators to meet some or all of these things, so get a head start now.

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.