Tips For Making Your Business Self Sustaining In Eco Friendly Ways

Julie Starr • June 6, 2022



Turning a business from something that generates carbon by the hour into a self-sustaining, environmentally friendly unit is nothing to sneeze at. It takes a lot of time and effort, but to ensure you have a future in the working world, it’s essential to put plans like these in place. And to help out with that, we’ve collected together some of the best tips for becoming self-reliant for your convenience below. Keep them in mind if your business goal this year can only be completed by environmentally conscious objectives.

Cut Out Break Room Waste

Having plastic cutlery in the break room can go a long way to polluting the environment around you; they’re hard to break down at the garbage tip, and they’re easily forgotten at the bottom of a trash can as well. And let’s not forget about non-reusable water bottles and other vending machine items here; the break room can be the worst waste producer in your entire setup! But you can cut back on the trash that comes out of this room by promoting a simple policy of bringing forks, bottles, and cups from home. 

Design Your Warehouse for Longevity 

All businesses need somewhere to store their stock, overflow, and equipment, and yours is no different! However, you can make a difference by designing your warehouse to be made of more durable materials, just like these steel buliding frames . The longer a warehouse can go without needing maintenance or repairs, the lower its impact on the environment. Less manpower is needed, meaning fewer resources are consumed, and fewer carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere. So, if you’re currently in the midst of upgrading or moving your storage area, think about the longevity of the building in question. 

Use Eco Cleaning Teams

An eco-cleaning team will go a long way to reducing your carbon footprint. Eco-conscious products, reduced waste, and the ability to compost anything they do throw away are keys to shortening your carbon cycle. The office will sparkle like never before, and you can rest easy knowing your workplace is clean and sanitized. Organic cleaning products are even a lot gentler on typical office surfaces – you won’t need to spend as much on the furniture budget this year-round! 

Work with Green Vendors

You’re going to need suppliers and external teams with the same ethos as you on your side. Working with ‘green’ vendors goes a long way; it helps you to reduce your environmental impact across the board, in both direct and indirect ways. And so many businesses forget about how their actions can snowball, so you’ll have a one-up on most other companies in your area. Whether you’ve got an event to put on or you need to boost your supply chain, always look for that eco-friendly promise before you sign a contract. 

Being a self-sustaining business is something to be proud of. Use tips like those above to get the eco wheel turning in your area. 

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.