How To Make Your Marketing More Eco-Friendly

Julie Starr • November 10, 2022



Print advertising is a great way to get people to notice your brand. But since climate change is on everyone’s mind, it’s essential to think about how green your printed marketing is. It might be that, in order to be more eco-friendly , you need to consider other marketing methods that will help you. Read on for some ideas about what you might want to start implementing in your business.

Think About Your Promotional Products

Many types of marketing, from event giveaways to promotional mail-outs, rely heavily on promotional materials. Many promotional goods, however, are still manufactured exclusively from disposable plastics.

  The good news is that promotional product manufacturers have expanded their product lines to provide a wide variety of environmentally friendly branded item options. Sustainable promotional products like these are great for increasing brand awareness and generating repeat business because customers will keep them in use. Some examples include reusable coffee cups and water bottles, tote bags, and cotton-based notebooks.

Buy More Recycled Products

You should only buy products made from recycled materials, such as plastic or paper. Buying recycled goods is a great way to do your part in the fight against waste. Plus, you’ll save energy and materials by reducing the production of new products.

How does this help with your marketing? It’s a great USP to use in your promotional information. Let your potential clients and customers know that you take sustainability seriously, and when you’re coming up with a sales pitch with help from the Salesforce Playbook , this USP should be front and center in everything you say and do.

  Sell Green Products

Companies who already manufacture environmentally friendly goods have a leg up on the competition. If this is not the case, then developing a “green” variant of an existing product, adding an existing green product from another source, or developing an entirely new green product would be the most sensible way to break into the eco-friendly market.  Products are considered “green” if they are made from sustainable, ethically sourced components.

  It’s helpful to see what other companies are doing for ideas on how to implement eco-friendly practices during the manufacturing process. A product’s environmental friendliness can be attained through its packaging, manufacturing, and advertising.

  Use Eco-Friendly Packaging

Over half of consumers would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly packaging, and most consumers are already making an effort to decrease their plastic waste. The problem with “regular” packaging is that plastics tend to wind up in landfills or the ocean, and their production process can be hazardous to the environment.

  In addition to boosting your company’s green credentials , making the switch to biodegradable and sustainable packaging is safe, healthy, and beneficial to individuals at every stage of the packaging’s life cycle.

Use eCommerce

If there’s one thing we learned in the past couple of years, it’s that you need to have a web presence for your company.

  You might start selling your wares online if you have a physical store, or you could move some of your events online if you host them in person. This will not only help you reach more customers, but it will also lessen the environmental toll of your company by decreasing the number of trips customers need to make to your location.

  Make something of this shift in your advertising, and people will respond positively to it.

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.