How Drones And Modern Technology Can Help Improve Sustainability

Julie Starr • September 3, 2024

Let’s face it, drones haven’t had the best introduction to the world, especially when people misuse them for bad intentions instead of good ones. There are some incredible benefits and advantages to using drones but often enough, we just get exposed to the negative impacts of it through the media.


Drones and modern technology can help improve sustainability in a number of ways and whether you’re a business looking to be more sustainable or you’re looking to make a difference individually with the use of drones, this guide will share everything you need to know about drones and modern technology.


Hopefully, by the end of the article, you’ll be taking on more modern technology in life, as well as drones to help with the productivity and benefits that come with sustainability in today’s world.


The rise of drones in popularity

Drones have certainly risen in popularity over the last few years and are now being used across many industries for the benefit of sustainability as well as to help with certain business operations and needs.


The drone industry is certainly expected to grow quite rapidly, which is why you should be hopping onto the bandwagon as soon as you’re able. The market size is one that has reached dizzying heights of $22.4 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to a whopping $166.7 billion by 2031.


The use of drones varies from agriculture to weddings and corporate events. As well as delivery and logistics, to media and entertainment, drones are something that you certainly want to embrace within your life or business for the benefit of sustainability.


Drones are still evolving and their regulations are also being adjusted and amended so that they cause as little disruption or illegal use as possible. However, the level of technology and quality used within the engineering of modern drones is incredible.


8 ways drones help improve sustainability

What are some of the ways in which drones help improve sustainability? If you’re looking to make improvements for the purpose of your own business or you’re just curious about what drones are capable of in general, here are 8 ways drones like the DJI drone help improve sustainability currently.


#1 Helpful to reduce carbon emissions

Are you churning out a lot of carbon emissions as a business? There are plenty of businesses that have made the effort to reduce their carbon footprint and hopefully leave less of an imprint on the world’s carbon contributions.


However, there are still plenty of businesses out there that are causing a lot of problems with their carbon emission volume.


Drones are able to help reduce carbon emissions by eliminating the need for fossil fuels. As we know, a lot of cars are now moving over to electric use, which will hopefully result in no more diesel or petrol use in the future.


Of course, a diesel or petrol-free world is still a long way away but drones, it can certainly help speed up the process. Drones themselves contribute very little to carbon emissions so it’s definitely worth considering these as an option.


#2 Planting trees and restoring natural habitats

Work for an organization that supports wildlife and nature? A great way that drones can be used is through the preservation and restoration of places that need attention.


Planting trees is a great way of helping the environment and the local wildlife, which is where drones can be of use. Drones can be helpful in helping plant trees and restore natural habitats, especially in places that might be harder to reach on foot or by vehicle.

 

With a lot of trees and wildlife being torn down for the purpose of the property, it’s important that we’re helping to increase the number of natural habitats around the world to continue keeping the air clean and free of carbon emissions.


There are plenty of natural disasters that have also torn down a lot of woodland, which is where the repair work needs to happen.


#3 Useful for improving food production

It’s incredible to think that in 2024, we’re still having problems with food and ensuring no person in the world goes hungry. However, there are still significant numbers of people who are going hungry and that’s heartbreaking.


Everyone deserves a hot meal in their stomach each day and no child should be going hungry because they don’t have access to food in general.

Being able to fuel food production is a great way to ensure there’s food available for everyone. Drones can be helpful in also improving sustainability in food production.


Providing alternative pest control is how drones are able to minimize the impact and damage made to local wildlife. While you don’t want pests destroying crops, you also don’t want to kill any animals or bugs that are essential for keeping the world spinning.


There are already a lot of farmers and businesses responsible for food production, who are using drones to help with delivering alternative pest control to crops. Hopefully, it will have a significant improvement in the volume of food produced throughout the world.


#4 Helps reduce energy consumption

Being able to reduce energy consumption as a household or as an organization can certainly be helpful. Drones are able to reduce energy consumption by helping to optimize the route and speed that comes when conducting inventory tasks.


They can also be used in various other ways to help cut out the option of something that would otherwise cause more energy consumption. Being able to optimize your business operations is helpful and drones can be the helping hand you need to achieve this.


#5 Great as a sustainable alternative to fireworks

Fireworks have long been a way of celebrating occasions like bonfire night in the UK or the 4th of July in the States. While fireworks are a delight to the senses both audibly and visually, they can often be a waste and a substantial waste at that.


However, drones have paved the way as an alternative to fireworks and if done correctly, they are just as effective if not more jaw-dropping and animated than fireworks.


There have already been many examples of drones being used across the world and in large volumes to create visually stunning pictures and moving imagery in the night sky.


#6 Great for supply chain sustainability 

Being able to optimize inventory management is important where businesses are concerned because overspending or ordering too much stock can cause waste and a loss in earnings.


Drones are helpful in reducing supply chain waste while optimizing the inventory management of the company. Not only that but for any businesses who are operating warehouses, it can help reduce the inefficiencies in this area of business operations too.


#7 Helpful for monitoring and mapping

When it comes to drones having accessibility to areas that are perhaps more restrictive to those on foot or via vehicle, these devices can be helpful when monitoring or mapping certain areas. For the purpose of tracking pollution levels, helping with conservation, or identifying potential land risks, there are plenty of uses for drones for both monitoring and mapping.


#8 Reduces reliance on vehicles

And finally, when it comes to vehicles, they can often be the main cause of carbon emissions, which are contributing a significant amount to climate change. 


With drones, it reduce the reliance on vehicles and can be helpful in saving on emissions that would otherwise be caused by these vehicles of varying sizes.


Other technology to help with sustainability

There are many other forms of technology that can be helpful when it comes to sustainability. These include:

  • Waste management
  • Solar panels, wind turbines, and water turbines
  • Carbon capture and storage
  • Cloud storage to encourage paperless organizations
  • Energy efficient and smart buildings/vehicles
  • Internet of Things
  • AI-controlled systems.


The world of technology is forever growing and how we use it is important to how much growth we make as a society in the long run. Being able to use it for the purpose of energy efficiency is fantastic because it hopefully gives our younger generations more time on this earth as a whole.


Being able to reduce and recycle more waste can also have a positive impact on the environment and thankfully, there are more technologies being utilized to make society more efficient in their usage of waste and how it impacts the world around them.


With technology in relation to smart devices and devices connected to the internet, it has been incredibly helpful to connect the world more efficiently and without using as much in the way of emissions.


The use of smart technology and AI has been helpful in creating efficiency in all areas of the world.


While there are some reservations about AI in particular and the machine learning technology’s power and influence in the future, it’s still a technology that should be utilized and taken advantage of where possible.


Both drones and modern technology are providing to be effective in helping improve sustainability and make the world a healthier place. It is also slowing down and hopefully undoing some of the extensive damage that society has made globally over the decades and centuries.

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.