A Sustainable Overhaul for Your Business Premises

Julie Starr • June 10, 2024

Reinstating eco-friendly practices into your business premises can not only benefit the planet but also your bottom line. No need for relocation into a forest or creating greenhouse-like conditions at work in order to join in this movement. With just a few strategic changes you can give your workplace a sustainable makeover that demonstrates both environmental awareness and financial prudence.


Start with an Energy Audit

Before diving in and buying all that bamboo furniture online, it's important to understand where you stand with regards to energy consumption and any areas where improvements could be made. An energy audit provides a detailed evaluation of your current energy consumption while pinpointing areas where more efficiency could be gained. Think of it like getting an overall health checkup for your building. From outdated lighting systems to hidden electronic loads occupying wasted power sources, an energy audit will show where resources are going missing while giving a roadmap of where to begin making sustainable upgrades.


Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances and Lighting

Once you've identified energy drains, it's time to upgrade them with energy-efficient appliances and lighting. Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs is an easy way to lower your electricity costs. Energy Star rated appliances consume significantly less power and water compared with non-rated counterparts.


Embrace Metal Recycling When Knocking Down

When renovating or demolishing part of your business premises, don't simply dispose of materials carelessly, metal recycling should be at the top of your to-do list. Metals such as steel, aluminum and copper are valuable resources that can be reused without degrading their properties. By segregating these precious resources from other demolition waste you not only help the environment while also potentially earning some extra revenue. Metal recycling offers financial incentives for scrap metal, turning what could otherwise be unnecessary waste into an opportunity. Plus, recycling reduces mining waste, conserving natural resources and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions associated with metal production. When remodeling or upgrading walls or fixtures consider metal recycling near me for recycling all metal components to minimize environmental impact.


Harness the Power of Natural Light

Looking at lighting, why not utilize natural daylight as an advantage? Introducing large windows or skylights can drastically decrease artificial lighting needs while at the same time increasing Vitamin D levels and the mood among employees. Studies have also proven its benefits to productivity and workplace satisfaction, creating a win-win scenario. If structural modifications aren't an option, try lighter paint colors or reflective surfaces to maximize daylight available to you.


Eco-Friendly Furniture and Materials

When purchasing furniture, remember to prioritize quality over quantity and sustainability over short-term savings. Choose pieces made of recycled wood or materials certified as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Modular pieces can easily be reconfigured when your needs change, extending its life cycle further and its usefulness. And bean bags crafted from upcycled material not only contribute towards sustainability, they look pretty great too.


Conclusion

Sustainable practices not only benefit the environment but can also strengthen your business by cutting costs, improving employee well-being and potentially attracting eco-conscious clients and partners. By taking these steps you're setting an example for more eco-conscious business practices globally and not simply following trends.

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.