How to Be More Sustainable and Reduce the Amount of Paper You Use at Work

Julie Starr • May 23, 2022



Paper waste is one of the most preventable operation costs that your company will experience. We now live in an era of cloud storage and communication tends to be mobile-first too. This means that there is no excuse for you to be using paper as much as you do because it is now easier than ever to share and even store data without needing it at all. Employees tend to have a real tendency for taking printing equipment for granted, and if you want your business to be more sustainable and eco-friendly, then it is vital that you try and target this as soon as possible.

Give your Team Dual Monitors

You may feel that giving your team a dual monitor is way more expensive when compared to letting them print out details on paper, but you are missing an important point. If you have a dual-monitor setup, then you may find that your team won’t need to print out documents as often, and this can make the manual transfer of data way simpler when compared to paper. Studies have shown that dual monitors also help to increase productivity as well as user satisfaction, which is huge, to say the least.

Duplex Printing

If you print on each side of the paper, you can instantly cut down on the amount of paper you use by over 50%. If you have a duplex rule, then you can easily make sure that every employee follows this rule, and this can reduce your print costs. It’s not just printing costs that you have to worry about though. If you have a waiting room, then you may buy newspapers or magazines, but what you don’t realize is that by investing in things like this, you are also wasting paper. One way for you to work around this would be for you to invest in an entertainment system such as Loop.tv .

Print Policies

If you want to make sure that you are actively reducing the paper that you use in the workplace, you have to make sure that you communicate any expectations that you have clearly. If you have a print policy, then this will lay out the rules regarding printing, and it also helps your team to understand why you are trying to save paper. Tell your team which documents they should be printing and which ones they shouldn’t. You should also tell them what kind of printing is suited to a particular document. It may be that you only have color-printing for documents that are customer-focused and that you have black and white printing for everything else.

Empower your Employees

If reducing paper is a top priority for you, then you need to make sure that you are just not pushing it onto your employees. You have to try and make sure that you empower them so that your team regulates their use without you having to remind them constantly. You also need to make sure that your sustainability efforts are part of your culture, and that your team actively shares in the mission that you have. If you can do this, then you will soon find that it is easier for you to come out on top overall. 

Reducing Font Size

Another super-easy way for you to reduce the amount of paper that you use would be for you to try and squeeze more information onto each piece of paper that you use. If you can reduce the print margins that you have and if you can use a smaller font size, then this will make a huge difference to your paper consumption, and you may even find that it helps you to cut down on cost too.

Use Modern Printers

If you are using older print equipment, then this will really stop you from being able to implement a sustainable practice overall. If you are using older printers, then you may find that you are not able to be as efficient as you want to be when it comes to printer ink and that you are also not able to scan things into the cloud. This is the last thing that you need, but there are things that you can do to turn things around, such as by investing in a solid, modern printer. It’ll pay for itself in no time, which can save you a huge amount of money overall.

So why not see if you can implement some of these measures today to see how much you could save? It has never been easier for you to make a positive change.

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.