Cutting Down on Both Personal and Commercial Waste

Julie Starr • May 6, 2022



The state of the environment seemed to be deteriorating with each passing year. While recycling is up from a few years ago, at 32%, everyone could do better. The reduction of personal and commercial waste is a high priority. However, it may be difficult to put into action. But it’s simple if you know what you’re doing. Along with recycling, energy efficiency is important for the environment. Single-use plastics are killing marine life at an alarming rate.

Everything should be recycled.

You’ve most likely heard this one before, but it’s important to recycle whatever you can whenever possible. In a typical office, paper makes up 70% of the waste. Don’t dispose of paper since it can be recycled greatly. Pre-sorting trash increases recycling efficiency. The only thing you have to do is use various containers for different kinds of rubbish. There might be bins for paper, glass, and recyclable metals like drink cans, for example.

Use Recycled Materials

You may contribute even more to the recycling process by buying recycled items and resources. If you must use paper in your company, for example, only recycled parchment should be used. Once you have completed your secure document shredding , you could use the remnants for packaging, or even at home as bedding in your hamsters’ cage.

Energy Awareness

Electricity is essential to both your personal and professional lives. That’s simply the way things are nowadays. However, the mere fact that energy exists does not justify its misuse. With current energy costs reaching historic highs, you may save money by just using what you need. Simple changes can save energy: 

  • Don’t keep gadgets on standby for extended periods of time.
  • Install energy-efficient LED light bulbs.
  • Connect appliances to energy-saving outlets.
  • Purchase energy-saving appliances.
  • Reduce your thermostat setting.
  • Wash at a cooler temperature.

Just by making these few adjustments, you will save a decent amount of money. If you add them all together, though, you might have a substantial influence on your energy use and expenses.

Consider a Paper-free Office

A paperless workplace is an option to explore in addition to cutting down on waste. One of the primary reasons Bill Gates founded Microsoft Office was because of this belief. Basically, you should only use paper when it’s really important. Modern technology simplifies this. Video conferencing has never been simpler, thanks to Zoom, Skype, and Teams, as well as document tools that facilitate teamwork.

Prohibit Single-Use Products

Single-use goods are a major contribution to the plastic scourge. Microplastics, which are found in everyday things like flatware, water bottles, food containers, and dog waste bags, are a major threat to marine life. Currently, our seas contain more than 5 trillion particles of microplastic.

  • Microplastics claim the lives of one million seabirds every year.
  • 100,000 marine creatures are also killed.
  • Plastic is discovered in 100% of newborn sea turtles.

Making even the tiniest adjustments may make a big difference in this troubling problem. Replace plastic bags for dog waste with biodegradable ones, use reusable water bottles, and only purchase food packaged in paper. Finally, the vast majority of significant firms are either making the move to environmentally friendly packaging or have already done so. 

 

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.