How To Make Sure Your Business Is Shipping Sustainably

Julie Starr • January 17, 2022



Online sales were on a growth path long before COVID19 struck the world down. After seeing the effects of the pandemic, businesses have even more reason to develop a strong online presence . For many businesses, that is going to mean shipping physical goods to customers. With that in mind, here are six tips on how to make sure that your shipping is sustainable.

Minimize customer returns

Customer returns are a huge issue for online retailers. Getting to grips with them will improve your margins as well as make you more sustainable. The good news is that getting to grips with returns is more about thoroughness and attention to detail than it is about your budget.

What you need to understand is that the majority of customers who return goods do so because the goods didn’t meet their expectations. There is a very small percentage of customers who use the returns system as a way to scam retailers. If, however, you’re running effective anti-fraud measures you should be able to catch most if not all of these.

Stopping customers from making genuine returns essentially boils down to making sure that they have all the information they need to make an informed decision before they buy. More specifically, it means ensuring that they have that information at their fingertips rather than having to search for it.

In general, the easiest way to achieve this is to implement a chatbot system. That way, you can keep your web pages clean and attractive but still give customers all the information they need. Additionally, it’s a good idea to provide lots of photos and/or videos. In some cases, you might even want to create an app to allow customers to visualize the product in their real life.

Keep on top of your inventory

Keeping on top of your inventory will minimize your chances of having to send goods by air to compensate for delays in getting new stock. It will also minimize your chances of having goods returned purely because they arrived too late.

Prior to COVID19, it was fairly common practice for businesses to operate just-in-time shipping processes. They also tended to ship from central distribution hubs, often in China. Before the pandemic, these tended to work fairly well most of the time. Even then, however, there were noticeable problems with the system.

Post COVID19 it could be well worth considering having a bank of inventory to protect you against shipping delays. If you routinely ship internationally, it could also be worth considering keeping stock in hubs near your main customer bases. You could have a partner ship them out to your end customers from there.

This approach is often a win for customer service as well as sustainability. It means that goods can be transported most of the way using slower transport options. They can then go to the last leg by air if necessary. If, however, the goods are closer to the customers, you may be able to make more frequent use of slower and more sustainable transport options.

Take packaging seriously

If you’re packaging your own products then make a commitment to review your packaging on a regular basis. That means at least once a year. This will allow you to adapt your packaging quickly to reflect the changes that inevitably come with time.  

For example, people may discover more sustainable ways of packing either using new materials or using existing materials in a new way. Alternatively, stakeholders such as governments may update rules/taxes relating to the use of packaging materials. These changes generally favor more sustainable options.

Both developments in packaging and regulatory changes tend to be flagged well in advance of going mainstream/being implemented. It’s therefore highly advisable to pay attention to relevant news sources so you always stay on top of the latest news and can respond quickly.

No matter what packaging you use, err on the side of excess when it comes to protective materials. Slightly overpacking an item is less of a sustainability hazard than slightly underpacking it. This is because it minimizes the chances of the goods being damaged and hence being returned and/or discarded.

Make sure you know shipping rules

 

If you break shipping rules, even by accident, then you’re setting yourself up for trouble. You may get away with it on the odd occasion but the chances are you won’t. This is particularly true if you’re sending goods by air.  

The aviation industry takes customer security extremely seriously. This means that air cargo is scanned very thoroughly before it gets put on the plane. If there is anything wrong at all, the package will generally be either held or returned. Generally, it will be held if there is an issue with documentation and returned if the package cannot be transported for some other reason.

Both holds and returns are an inconvenience. From a sustainability perspective, returns are far worse. As with customer returns, they are a largely avoidable drain on resources, including and especially carbon.

Have a robust shipping process

You need a documented shipping process to ensure that everyone gets everything they ordered sent where they want it sent with minimal delay. This process should cover literally every step in the order-dispatch process. That includes prior actions such as ordering packaging, and the kind of shipping containers your logistics partner is able to provide..

An effective shipping process will allow you to use the most sustainable and cost-effective methods for sending your items. For example, it will allow you to see when it’s better to send items in one package and when it’s better to send items in multiple packages.

It will eliminate the need to send items separately purely because the packer forgot (or didn’t know) to add them to the main order. It can also help to minimize returns since it should eliminate issues with goods arriving after they are needed.

Proactively manage your customers’ behavior

Try to encourage your customers to use more sustainable shipping options whenever possible. For example, offer free shipping by land and sea but charge a premium for air. You might also want to consider implementing a reward scheme and offering extra points for choosing more sustainable shipping options.

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.