How You Can Help The Environment In The Workplace

Julie Starr • May 29, 2024

One important aspect of life is helping to save the environment. It’s important everyone does their part to lend a hand in this area for the best outcome.


It’s about making a conscious effort to live a more sustainable lifestyle in the business world. The first step is to gather some ideas as to what you can do better. Here you can learn some ways in which you can help the environment in the workplace.


Be Mindful of Your Product Purchases

You can help the environment in the workplace by being more mindful of your product purchases. Research companies before you spend your money to see if they offer sustainable solutions that are green. For example, if you work in the dental field you may want to look into getting a one-shade flowable composite for your patients. This product in particular offers a reduction in composite waste, for example. 


Take the Time to Recycle

Another way you can help the environment and embrace sustainability in the workplace is to take the time to recycle. It may be useful to have a separate container at work where you and your employees can throw these items to ensure they get recycled. You don’t want to throw everything in the trash and not pay attention to this important to-do. There are likely many items that you use daily that can be recycled if you take the time to check before tossing them in the garbage. It’s your chance to reduce the amount of waste that gets brought to the landfills. It’s also a way to conserve natural resources. 


Cut Back on Water & Electricity Use at Work

You should also pay attention to how much water and electricity you are using at the office. It’s a good idea to turn the water off while you are washing your hands, for example. Make sure that you and your staff unplug your devices when they aren’t in use. It’s also wise to get in the habit of turning off the lights in the areas you aren’t spending time in. Look around your workplace at the light bulbs you are using and switch them out to more energy-efficient solutions as well. You’ll be helping out the planet and doing your part to live more sustainably this way.


Volunteer for Clean-Ups in Your Community

Volunteering your time can be a very rewarding experience. You can help the environment by gathering your team and volunteering in your free time for clean-ups in your local community. You may even be able to make new connections with others in the process of helping out the environment. There are likely many ways to help out that you may not be aware of. It’s a great way to get your local community in better shape and looking nice. There may even be opportunities to plant trees where you work. It’s also a chance to fulfill your corporate social responsibility. 


Conclusion

You now have some good ideas as to how you can help the environment in the workplace. All it takes is making small changes to your daily routine that will have a big impact. Be proud of yourself for wanting to learn more about this topic and taking the time to do your part at work.

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.
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.