Not to toot our own horn or anything, but we reckon we’ve talked to some of the smartest business-y folk over the years, who’ve given us our fair share of pearls of wisdom. We’ve discussed everything from running a small biz away from the big smoke all the way to how to land the perfect foodie snap for socials and loads of other ace topics that have made us become a tad more business-savvy and confident – again, not to brag.

One topic that is increasingly becoming more and more important is how to incorporate more sustainable practices into business, and we’re happy to report that we’ve gathered a bunch of nifty eco-friendly tips. Peruse our picks below.

FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO RECYCLE The concept of recycling and reusing stuff instead of chucking it in the bin is nothing new, but it still remains one of the most important (and impactful) things you can do not only in business, but also in your daily lives. Take Nathania Gilson, for instance: we chatted to her back in 2021 about how to choose the most sustainable packaging for your small business, and here’s what she had to say: “Take inspiration from social enterprise Who Gives a Crap, which prints ‘alternative uses’ for their cardboard boxes, including a cat mansion, cheap coffee table, lemonade stand, or large hat,” Nathania says.

“Also, make sure your customers have clear info on how to responsibly dispose of any packaging. The more detailed and transparent you are to avoid confusion, the better.”

WATCH OUT FOR GREENWASHING Being eco-conscious is a wonderful trait to have in this day and age, but there are a few nasty tactics that other brands use in order to trick well-meaning customers into buying their products, known as ‘greenwashing’. In 2023 we shared a discussion about greenwashing with a bunch of smart cookies like Nadia Steele, who shared some insight on how to look for the signs on whether or not a brand’s sustainable practices are legit. Consumers need to be “more educated than ever,” says Nadia.

She recommended keeping a keen eye on a business’s supposed values and what exactly they are doing to help the planet. Any vague statements are usually a clear giveaway of greenwashing. “A genuinely sustainable business will have this at the core of its operations,” she says.

REDUCE YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT We all know about the importance of reducing our physical rubbish, but did you know that all of your unopened emails, excess downloads or other items clogging up your laptop leads to an excess of carbon and energy consumption? That’s what we learnt from Freyja Tasci in 2022, who shared some neat tips on how to reduce these high amounts of energy. “Take the time to delete unnecessary files and clear out your emails,” she says.

“While you’re at it, unsubscribe from emails you’ve signed up to but no longer read.”

THINK OF NIFTY WAYS TO GET RID OF WASTE The idea of reducing, reusing and recycling is nothing new, but sometimes we need to think a little bit outside of the box, like hair salon-owner Charlotte Archer, who has a unique way of getting rid of excess hair. “We really try to be as waste-free as possible, and that includes sending the cut hair from our floors to the Great Barrier Reef to collect all the hair from salons and make ‘booms’ to help soak up oil spills,” Charlotte says.

“We also recycle all of our used foil, and it gets melted down and made into new products including ‘re-foil’, which is the foil we use.”

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