How A Sustainable Work Environment Increases Productivity

Julie Starr • April 13, 2021



Creating a sustainable work environment has become common within the corporate world as it offers businesses numerous benefits . One such benefit is an increase in the business’ overall levels of productivity. A company that operates at high productivity levels is more likely to retain loyal and satisfied customers, content employees, and expand its goal. So, how do greener options positively impact productivity? Here are a few ways.

  • Improves cognition amongst employees

Cognition is the process of acquiring and processing information. This is crucial to improving productivity as it encourages basic comprehension, boosts memory skills, and sharpens one’s evaluation and problem-solving skills. A sustainable environment makes this possible as it eliminates the need for employees to work on time-consuming tasks that would lead to backlogs and stress. 

For example, within a sustainable work environment,  instead of employees spending time on debt management strategies, the business would hire solutions like Improved Data Services to take care of that on its behalf. This leaves employees with more room to take on courses and webinars to expand on their skills. This, in effect, would lead to an increase in productivity as they can work with minimum supervision and produce work of high standards. This is confirmed in the study conducted by Harvard University, which concluded that the cognition rates in a sustainable work environment had increased by 26%.

  • Keeps the workplace safe

A safe workplace breeds happy, healthy, and productive employees. A sustainable workplace ensures that employees are comfortable and safe. Therefore a sustainable office will be designed with this in mind. For example, plants are placed in strategic areas to ensure good ventilation within the workspace. For light, windows that encourage natural light are used. However, these are strategically done to prevent glare and trap the heat generated by the sun. 

Some offices have created rooms for employees to relax and meditate in, ensuring they work at optimum levels without stressing themselves. The furniture in such work environments is sturdy and durable, making it easy for employees to sit while they work comfortably. When a workplace offers sufficient comfort and safety, employees are less irritable and distracted. This allows them to stay focused on completing tasks in time- therefore, increasing productivity. It also increases productivity as it eliminates a reduced workforce’s chances due to health issues associated with the work environment.

  •   Improves workplace morale

When you create a sustainable workplace, you increase workforce morale amongst your employees. Research has shown that by creating a green and safe environment for your employees, you put the message across that you care. This, in turn, makes employees happier to be in the workplace and deliver as expected. A study conducted by the University of Exeter showed that a company’s productivity increased 15% because of the indoor plants in its office space. Happy employees are more motivated to complete and take on new tasks, which leads to increased productivity. It is time to take the right decision for your business and employees by ensuring you have a sustainable work environment.

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.