Optimize Your Company’s Sustainability With These Tips

Julie Starr • March 4, 2022



It’s not uncommon to hear of more businesses becoming more sustainable. You may have seen much of your competition doing so.

That could lead you to wonder whether it’s something that your company should do. That’s typically a ‘yes,’ and there are more than a few reasons why.

Alternatively, you could already know that you need to do this. You mightn’t know how to make your business more sustainable, however.

It could take more effort than you’d think. By focusing on particular areas, you shouldn’t have a problem making your business more sustainable.

That’ll be seen in quite a few ways, such as reduced waste, a lowered environmental impact, and more.

Why Make Your Business More Sustainable?

You could wonder why you should make your business more sustainable. You might see it as an extra cost and extra effort. That isn’t the case.

There are more than a few benefits to making your company more sustainable . Some of the more notable of these include:

  • Better Brand Image: How customers view your company is essential to your success. You’ll need to build a positive reputation. Improved sustainability is a step you could make toward that.
  • Attract Better Employees: More and more workers are environmentally-conscious. They won’t work for companies that aren’t. If you want to attract the best talent in your industry, then you’ll need to attract them. Being a sustainable business will help you do that.
  • More Efficient With Resources: As a business owner, you’ll need to ensure that your company is as efficient as possible. That means not wasting your resources. By being more sustainable, you’ll become more efficient with these. You’ll use less electricity and fewer resources. That could also reduce your costs.

The benefits of being a sustainable business can be more than enough of a reason to concentrate on it. If you are, you’ll need to know how to make your business more sustainable.

There can be more to the process than you’d expect. That doesn’t have to mean that it’ll be complicated, however.

It could be more straightforward than you’d think.

How To Make Your Business More Sustainable Quickly & Easily

Employ The Right People

Your employees will be one of the driving forces behind your company. You’ll need to ensure that they’re able to do their jobs to a high standard.

Naturally, focusing on their skills when you’re hiring them is recommended. That isn’t the only thing you’ll need to consider, however.

You’ll also need to ensure that they can work with your other employees, alongside sharing your company’s values. There are more than a few ways that you can do so.

Much of this comes during the hiring and onboarding process. You could consider using a Firo-B , among other assessments, during this time.

It’ll help ensure you’re hiring the best people for the role.

Focus On Products & Packaging

If you sell products, these will be one of the most important factors to consider when becoming more sustainable. They could be one of the largest drivers of your emissions and environmental impact.

Taking several steps to reduce this impact is recommended. Some of the more notable include:

  • Choosing local suppliers.
  • Picking sustainably sourced materials and supplies.
  • Using recycled or biodegradable materials.

You should also focus on your packing with this. Making this eco-friendly should be a priority. Taking a similar approach as you do with your products – such as using recycled materials – is recommended.

Consider Green Shipping

Green shipping is vital for any sustainability-minded company that delivers its products. While most people think of packaging with this, you’ll need to focus on more than that.

  1. Consolidate orders whenever you can.
  2. Cut down on how much packaging you use.
  3. Use biodegradable or recycled materials.

Implementing as many green shipping strategies as possible is recommended. While this could have an impact on your costs, it’ll reduce your impact on the environment.

How To Make Your Business More Sustainable: Wrapping Up

If you don’t know how to make your business more sustainable, you could feel as though there’s nothing you can do. That isn’t the case.

There are more than a few things that every business can do to become more environmentally friendly. While this will take effort, it can be more than worth it.

With the various benefits that becoming more sustainable offers, there’s no reason not to focus on this. Taking this approach doesn’t need to be as difficult as you’d assume.

Taking a few specific steps can be more than recommended. Doing so will be more straightforward than you’d think.

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.