How To Be A More Eco-Conscious Entrepreneur

Julie Starr • November 18, 2021



Business owners play a critical role in the worldwide effort to cut emissions and avoid additional environmental harm. Not only can they do a lot within their own businesses, but they can be role models for others, so the cycle continues – and that has to be a positive thing. Here are some recommendations to help you become a more eco-conscious entrepreneur if you want to adopt greener methods of working.

Recycling

Recycling is an efficient method of decreasing trash and guaranteeing that things with useful life left in them can be used rather than ending up in a landfill. If you own a company , you can take steps to reduce the amount of garbage you generate while increasing the amount of waste you recycle or reuse. Replace paper records and papers with technology, and collect paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic trash for recycling. Make it simple for your staff and customers to recycle items and packaging by providing clear rules. If your company creates garbage that isn’t commonly recyclable, search out organizations or programs that might help. 

Materials

On a daily basis, business owners purchase and employ a wide range of materials. If you want to become greener, look at the materials and chemicals you use to make goods or deliver services and see if there are any eco-friendly alternatives. If you need to find a new cosmetic ingredients supplier because your old one wasn’t eco-friendly enough, you’ll need to make that change. 

  Look for sustainable materials, materials manufactured in a manner that decreases emissions, or goods that create less emissions because they don’t need treatment or curing. It’s also a good idea to audit orders to see if there are any opportunities to decrease waste and recycle any products that you don’t need or utilize.

Energy Consumption 

Reducing energy use has various advantages for both company owners and the environment. Lowering your usage will save you money while also benefiting the planet. Cutting expenses enables entrepreneurs to dedicate funding to initiatives that promote growth and optimize revenues.

  There are several methods for lowering energy expenditures, such as insulating commercial buildings, using a thermostat to adjust the temperature, installing smart meters to measure use, and investing in smart technologies. 

  Modern technology is intended to increase efficiency and performance while simultaneously saving money. Consider alternatives such as energy-saving lightbulbs and motion sensor lights. You could also switch to renewable energy sources and urge your staff to participate by turning off lights when they leave rooms and unplugging equipment rather than leaving them on standby. Setting a good example at work can encourage customers and workers to follow suit at home.

  Businesses will play a critical role in safeguarding the environment and lowering carbon emissions in the future. There are various actions you can take if you want to go green and do more to reduce your carbon footprint and encourage consumers and staff to be more eco-conscious. Encourage recycling and reusing, acquire items that are sustainable or ecologically friendly, and limit your energy use.

 

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.
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.