Four Ways Your Ecommerce Can Go Green Without Impacting Your Supply Chain

Julie Starr • May 10, 2022



Going green does not have to upset your entire supply chain, but it can improve it.

There are some tangible ecommerce integrations you can take to reduce the environmental effect of your eCommerce business (even if you start small) without negatively impacting your bottom line.

Use Eco-Friendly Packaging

Excessive and non-recyclable packaging contributes significantly to trash. Eco-friendly packaging is created from recycled or easily recyclable or compostable materials.

You should try to use recyclable and/or biodegradable cardboard and plastic solutions such as boxes, bags, tape, padding, and even labels.  You should also try to use branded custom packaging solutions created from environmentally acceptable materials.

Though converting to a more sustainable packaging option is more expensive, 70% of consumers polled said they would pay extra for sustainable packaging. Having said that, investing in environmental packaging is worthwhile.

Stay Away From Single-Use Plastics

Single-use plastics contribute significantly to waste, pollution, and global warming. It is critical to develop measures to decrease their consumption throughout your supply chain if you can try to eliminate them completely.

This could include doing away with the practice of packaging each individual item in the order in its own bag (or employing ships in its own container packaging) or minimizing the amount of marketing collateral included with each order.

While some types of products do need individual packaging for safety or sanitary reasons, consider using a biodegradable bag or one produced from recycled materials instead.

Offer Carbon Offsets For Shipping

As previously stated, shipping produces carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

Ecommerce companies may compute the exact carbon footprint of every individual order and offset it by contributing the exact amount to certified carbon offsetting programs that actively reduce the quantity of carbon in the atmosphere.

Carbon offsets are an excellent tool for making your online business more sustainable. Even if your company is online, daily shipping operations generate a significant amount of carbon emissions. When attempting to offset carbon emissions, you may want to have a wide portfolio of offsetting initiatives.

Spread Your Inventory

Many clients are accustomed to receiving quick and expedited shipments at a low cost. If you ship from a warehouse in California, for example, it’s very hard to get your customer’s item to them in New York in only two days using ground shipping, which is less harmful to the environment than air shipping.

Many 3PL firms make it simple for retailers to distribute goods across various fulfillment locations. Orders are completed from the nearest fulfillment center to the order’s final destination, maximizing last-mile delivery and lowering shipping costs.

Not only do you exceed client expectations by using an inventory distribution plan, but you also maintain a more sustainable shipping option.

These are just four of the ways you can make your eCommerce store become more environmentally friendly. There are, of course, other methods to use. Do you know any? Or do you use any in your business? Please share some of them in the comments section below. 

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.