How to Transform Your Online Marketing Department into a Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Operation

Julie Starr • February 9, 2022



It’s no secret that the online marketing industry is one of the most wasteful and environmentally harmful industries out there. But what if we told you that it doesn’t have to be this way? This blog post will discuss how you can transform your online marketing department into a sustainable and eco-friendly operation. We will cover everything from reducing paper waste to using recycled materials in your marketing campaigns.  

1) Reduce Paper Waste

One of the easiest ways to make your online marketing department more eco-friendly is to reduce paper waste . This can be done by using less paper in your marketing campaigns and printing documents on both sides of the page. You can also recycle old papers instead of throwing them away.

2) Use Less Energy

Another way to make your online marketing department more eco-friendly is to use less energy. This can be done by turning off lights when they are not needed and using energy-saving bulbs in place of incandescent ones. 

It’s also important that you only use the computers, printers, and other devices in your office as much as necessary so that they aren’t wasting electricity needlessly all day long.

3) Use Electronic Marketing Systems

One of the best ways to make your online marketing department more eco-friendly is to use electronic marketing systems. This can include using email instead of paper mailings, using social media instead of print ads, and making use of digital newsletters instead of mailing them out. 

By doing this, you will be able to reduce the amount of paper that is used in your marketing campaigns by a significant amount. And since electronic marketing systems are cheaper and more efficient than traditional methods, you’ll also be saving money at the same time!

4) Get Organized

It’s also important that you get organized when it comes to your online marketing department. This means making sure everything is filed away properly, and there is a system in place for storing all of the files needed by each person on staff so they can be found easily if necessary. A good service to consider using is Nestify . 

You should also make use of tools like Google Drive or Dropbox to share documents with team members who aren’t located nearby – this will help reduce paper waste as well!

5) Use sustainable management practices

The last way to make your online marketing department more eco-friendly is by using sustainable management practices . This includes things like recycling paper instead of throwing it away and choosing environmentally friendly suppliers for the materials used in your campaigns (such as recycled cardboard boxes). It also means having policies in place that encourage employees to think about their impact on the environment when making decisions about how they work each day.

6) Use software to monitor your carbon footprint

Now you can use software to help you measure and manage the carbon footprints of all business practices, including marketing. Many software options allow businesses to understand their environmental impacts to make better decisions about how they operate. You can find many different types of this software online, which is good news for eco-minded online marketers!

You can easily transform your online marketing department into a sustainable and eco-friendly operation by following these tips. Not only will this be good for the environment, but it will also save you money in the long run! 

 

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.