Eco-Friendly Ideas for Your Interior Design Business

Julie Starr • December 18, 2021



Have you heard about eco-friendly movements? Are you looking for ways to integrate environmentally sustainable practices into your business? Are you interested in creating a more sustainable footprint with your interior design business?

Your interior design business undoubtedly does enough good for many people. However, you can as well extend this help to the environment. Taking the smallest of changes in your business structure can help to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. Below are a few ways you can infuse your business systems and design processes with eco-friendly efforts:

Sustainable Sourcing

Consider some factors when looking for sources for eco-conscious products. These factors include but are not limited to low-impact production, the use of non-toxic or upcycled materials, and ethical manufacturing. Furthermore, source vintage pieces and include recycled or reused materials whenever possible. 

Reach out to and work with companies committed to environmentally sustainable design. There are many good options for sourcing finishes and products for your business. Be sure to source them from eco-conscious companies that offer several products like eco-friendly fabric . Moreover, work with vendors that invoke your aesthetic and utilize them when sourcing products for your clients.

Digitize Your Business

Start by moving all your files and client proposals to a digital space. Doing this will reduce clutter in your office space and minimize the need to use paper for filling and writing proposals. In the same vein as all your client proposals, creating digital media kits is also a good idea. Here, people like the media, investors, potential clients, and others can find information about your business. You can also invest in digital databases and other relevant software.

You can also create a user-friendly website for your business where clients can book and make orders for your services online. Again, you will help reduce the use of paper. 

Additionally, create design presentations with sustainability in mind. Do away with printing images and creating a traditional mood board. Instead, create interactive PDFs with options like hyperlinks and present them on an iPad.

Rethink Your Install Day

Your install day probably comes with lots and lots of boxes that eventually end up in a landfill. You can help lessen the impact on the environment by utilizing old boxes to repackage all the items for install day. Alternatively, you can invest in reusable containers that you can use for all your client installs. 

Ensure Your Receiving Warehouse Is Sustainable

In a case where you are using a receiving warehouse for shipping your clients’ products, you should ensure that they practice sustainability. For example, ensure that they recycle or compost all the cardboard your clients’ furniture and other products come in. Doing this will push further your eco-friendly initiatives for your business.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Waste

Ensure you implement waste management strategies in your interior design business to promote sustainability. You can start by providing sorted recycling bins in all your spaces. Then, educate your employees, if any, on the proper ways of recycling waste. Moreover, encourage your employees to avoid using disposables and use real utensils and cutlery within the office. 

Conclusion

As you can see, most of the eco-friendly ideas above are tangible and easy to implement. Moreover, they are simple such that you can start implementing them today. You can help move to a sustainable and eco-friendly impactful industry by simply digitizing systems, sustainability strategies and being more thoughtful about how you consume your supplies.

Can AI Support Environmental Sustainability? 5 Ways It's Already Making an Impact

By Julie Starr • May 12, 2025
As conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) evolve from hype to implementation, many sustainability professionals are beginning to ask: Can AI actually support environmental goals—or is it just another tech distraction? At Taiga Company, we believe this is exactly the right kind of question. New tools should be approached with thoughtful inquiry and grounded optimism. While there’s plenty of noise in the AI space, we’re also seeing early signals that AI, when applied responsibly, may offer significant benefits in advancing sustainability strategies. Below are five science-backed ways AI is already being used to support environmental sustainability—with links to explore the data behind each. 1. Optimizing Energy Use and Efficiency AI can analyze and forecast energy needs, detect inefficiencies in real time, and automate building and grid-level energy decisions. Google, for example, used DeepMind’s AI to reduce the energy used for cooling its data centers by 40% —a significant operational and environmental win. 2. Enhancing Climate Modeling and Prediction AI improves the accuracy and speed of climate models by processing vast datasets (like satellite data and atmospheric readings) faster than traditional tools. This can help scientists and policymakers better anticipate extreme weather, sea level rise, and other climate-related risks. 3. Enabling Smarter Agriculture and Resource Use In agriculture , AI supports precision farming—using data to guide decisions around water use, fertilizers, and pest management. These tools can reduce resource consumption and emissions while supporting food security. 4. Accelerating Circular Economy and Waste Reduction AI is being used to automate waste sorting, track materials through supply chains, and improve transparency around recycling and reuse. These innovations support circular economy goals and help reduce landfill and emissions. 5. Monitoring Ecosystems and Biodiversity AI-powered sensors, drones, and satellites can track deforestation, monitor endangered species, and even detect illegal activity in protected areas—helping conservation efforts scale more efficiently. What This Means for Corporate Sustainability For corporate sustainability leaders, these examples show that AI is not a magic solution—but it might be a valuable tool in the toolkit. Like any technology, its value depends on how it’s implemented, what data it's trained on, and whether it’s integrated with strategic goals. This is where communications plays a vital role. At Taiga Company, we help organizations articulate how technologies like AI fit into their broader environmental and business commitments. Whether through thought leadership, stakeholder education, reporting language, or digital engagement, our communications support helps make new tools understandable, actionable, and credible. We focus on: – Translating complex innovation into clear, values-aligned messaging – Engaging internal and external stakeholders on their learning journey – Showcasing measurable impact while aligning with evolving standards and frameworks – Sharing best practices in a way that encourages collaboration and informed adoption AI is not just a technology story—it’s a communication opportunity. It invites sustainability leaders to educate, inspire, and engage stakeholders around how they are navigating this next chapter.

What You Call It vs. What You Do: Communicating Impact Beyond ESG Labels

By Julie Starr • May 5, 2025
As the world continues to prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, a new technological movement is quietly reshaping how companies communicate their sustainability efforts: Web3. Web3—the next evolution of the internet built on decentralized technologies like blockchain—offers powerful new tools for ESG storytelling. At Taiga Company, we believe Web3 represents a transformational opportunity to enhance digital transparency, expand decentralized sustainability initiatives, and bring fresh credibility to corporate ESG communications. Web3 Unlocks Digital Transparency for ESG In an era where stakeholders expect greater accountability, Web3 provides an immutable, verifiable way to share ESG metrics. Blockchain technology enables companies to record sustainability data—such as carbon tracking, water usage, or supply chain emissions—directly on decentralized ledgers. This creates a new level of digital transparency that can bolster trust with investors, customers, and regulators. At Taiga Company, we help businesses translate these complex technical capabilities into clear, accessible communications. Our services bridge the gap between advanced Web3 solutions and everyday ESG storytelling , making decentralized reporting meaningful to broader audiences. Decentralized Sustainability and Regenerative Finance (ReFi) Beyond transparency, Web3 is giving rise to decentralized sustainability models. Projects in regenerative finance (ReFi) are using blockchain tools to incentivize environmental restoration, carbon sequestration, and climate-positive activities. These initiatives align with emerging ESG expectations that go beyond ‘do no harm’ and focus on regenerative impact. We work with companies to integrate these new paradigms into their sustainability narratives—highlighting how innovative approaches like ReFi contribute to broader environmental goals, align with ESG criteria, and showcase leadership in a rapidly changing landscape. A New Era for ESG Storytelling Traditional ESG reports often feel static, data-heavy, and disconnected from stakeholders. Web3 offers a dynamic, participatory model where audiences can engage with real-time sustainability data, track progress directly, and even contribute to decentralized initiatives. Our services specialize in creating communications that reflect this evolution. By combining our expertise in sustainability strategy with a growing understanding of Web3 trends, we help organizations: Translate decentralized sustainability efforts into compelling, credible stories Align carbon tracking and digital transparency initiatives with stakeholder expectations Position ESG leadership within the emerging Web3 economy The Path Forward Web3 won't replace traditional ESG frameworks, but it will significantly enhance them. Companies that start integrating decentralized transparency, carbon tracking, and regenerative finance into their sustainability communications today will be better positioned for tomorrow's expectations.  Ready to evolve your ESG communications for the Web3 era? Let's connect.