How To Craft Eco-Desirable Merchandise, Not Disposable Items

Julie Starr • December 31, 2023

You can tell a lot about a business and its priorities based on the merchandise they sell. For some, screen-printed t-shirts, bags and other items can be good enough, and they may be given out at events. That’s not a bad option of course, but you can tell when they’ve been produced cheaply to the point where you’ll be throwing out the garment almost as soon as you wear it.


It’s especially important for companies to consider how to create merchandise that lasts, not only in construction but value and utility. Moreover, if you hope to mass-produce merchandise (relative to how large your business is), it’s good to take a strong eco view. Thankfully, many merchandise designers and manufacturers have also taken a healthy view of this change, and seek to appeal to conscious consumers alike.


So, how can you craft desirable merchandise and not disposable junk like some other companies do? Let’s consider that, below:


Opt For Items Meant To Last


A simple pen can be lost, a car key attachment is usually made from plastic and can wear down over time, but functional items people actually like to use can be valuable for a long period of time. Here you might think about printing custom Richardson hats, tote bags, and other functional items that allow someone to use your goods even if they know or care about your business to begin with. This way, you avoid putting out waste, and add a little more reuse and utility to the world. It’s a simple goal, but a noble one nonetheless.


Use Recycled Materials


A product is so much more impressive when it’s been recycled because it means the manufacturing process has accounted for waste ahead of time. Moreover, it encourages those who hold your product in the future to pass along that good sense and dispose of the item correctly. Nowadays, even plastics can be recycled, and that might include caps for bottles, wider containers, and even packaging. If you can prioritize this, even if it might increase cost, it will be worth it. You can partner with ethical manufacturers to get that ball rolling.


List Your Resources


Most people interested in eco practices will tell you that listing your resources can be just as exciting, interesting and educational as anything else. So, make a landing page about your process, your sustainable merch, and how it was crafted. Be transparent, and highlight the various services used to help you bring your merch into fashion. Not only does this create a great deal of interest about the items you’ve brought out, but it helps serve as a lateral promotional campaign, showing the future-thinking standards you’re operating from. Here you can also highlight the suppliers you’ve used to sustain a worthwhile eco-approach, and that could inspire others, perhaps even your competition, to be more vocal about their eco decisions. That can only be a good thing.


With this advice, you’re sure to craft eco-desirable merchandise in the best way. It may take some time, but you’ll be certain to benefit from it.

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.