How To Build A Sustainable Brand

Julie Starr • October 6, 2020



Whilst recent years have seen a steady (and necessary) rise in eco-friendly practices there is still more work to be done to protect the planet for future generations. After all, organizations such as the Natural History Museum declared that we are currently in a state of planetary emergency , meaning change needs to happen sooner rather than later. 

Therefore, it is the responsibility of business owners to implement sustainable practices in their workplace. This can involve reducing the amount of paper used on-site, or switching to green energy suppliers. However, it is also important that you incorporate sustainability into your brand. In doing so, you are setting a strong example for other companies and encouraging customers to be more selective in the companies they work with or purchase from – thus promoting a better, brighter future for the planet.

Ditch the business cards

The days of leaflets and business cards are on a steady decline.  Not only do they use excessive amounts of paper, but they are simply less effective than they were previously. For example, when was the last time you picked up a leaflet on display? In a modern technological world, a strong online presence is much more beneficial to a business, especially if you have a well-designed, easy to use website. 

Designing your website can be a difficult process. However, specialist companies such as H Grant designs , work closely with you to ensure that your website not only represents your brand but also functions in the way in which you want it too. They can carefully curate a website based on your company’s goals – whether you want to increase sales or demonstrate your wealth of knowledge to your target audience. 

In order to represent your brand’s commitment to sustainability, be sure to include a page on your site that details the work you are doing to protect the environment. This could include information such as your energy supplier or how you are reducing waste. 

Utilize social media

A recent study found that in 2019, the average time spent on social media was a staggering 144 minutes per day. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that cultivating a strong social media presence is an important part of boosting your business. 

As opposed to focusing on sales-driven content, try to give the viewer an insight into your company and what you stand for. For example, a weekly post on sustainability will demonstrate your commitment to a more sustainable future, immediately making your business appear more attractive to a viewer. You can also help to promote positive change in doing so.

Change the way you work

In order to further solidify your brand or company as sustainable, you will also need to implement key changes in the way the workplace functions and you can provide details of this on the company website. 

For example, you can help reduce pollution by encouraging employees to take part in the cycle to work scheme, use public transport or even car share. You can also offer rewards as an incentive for those who regularly engage in eco-friendly practices.

Grow your business with sustainable business practices. You’ll serve your employees, clients, and the planet with the means towards a better future.

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.