Everyone seems to be starting a side hustle these days. It’s a great way to make some extra cash while doing something you love, without giving up the stability of your full-time job. But with so many people doing it, standing out can be tough. One way to differentiate yourself is by starting a green business. These businesses prioritize sustainability in their products and operations, reducing waste, promoting renewable energy, and minimizing their carbon footprint.
Customers are increasingly looking for eco-friendly options. In fact, over a third of consumers, particularly younger ones, are willing to pay about 25% more for green products and services. So, by making your business eco-friendly, you can increase your profits while also helping the planet. It’s a win-win situation.
There are many types of sustainable businesses. Some create eco-friendly products, others offer services to help people live more sustainably, and some are regular businesses that aim to reduce their environmental impact through practices like energy efficiency, recycling, and reuse. Essentially, you can put a green spin on any business idea that appeals to you.
If you’re interested in starting an eco-friendly side business, here are 20 green business ideas to consider:
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Sustainable Landscaping: Traditional landscaping services can be harmful to the environment, using pesticides and fertilizers that pollute the land and water, gas-powered tools that emit air pollution and carbon, and plants that are heavy water users and not native to the area. As a green landscaper, you can offer a more eco-friendly service, using native plants that require less water and fertilizer, battery-powered garden tools, and natural compost and pest control methods.
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Composting: Many people and businesses would like to compost their waste into natural fertilizer, but lack the space or time to do so. You could offer a service to collect food or yard waste and compost it at your home, earning money for both the collection and the sale of the finished compost.
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Eco-Friendly Trash Disposal: Large items like furniture and appliances can be difficult to dispose of sustainably. You could offer a service to pick up these items and dispose of them properly, selling or donating any usable items, recycling what can be recycled, and ensuring the rest is disposed of correctly.
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Green Cleaning Business: Start a cleaning service that uses only eco-friendly cleaning products. These products are free from harmful chemicals and often come in less plastic packaging than conventional cleaners.
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Solar Panel Installation: As more homeowners and businesses turn to solar energy, the demand for solar panel installers is growing. This requires some training and potentially a license, but can be a lucrative field.
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Secondhand or Consignment Shop: Selling secondhand items not only saves them from the landfill but also reduces the environmental impact of fast fashion. You could start with clothes and expand to furniture, toys, tools, or fitness gear.
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Used Bookstore: Running a used bookstore can be a fun and rewarding business, and it keeps books out of the landfill. The biggest cost is likely to be rent, but you could avoid this by selling your books online.
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Repair or Refurbish Electronics: If you’re tech-savvy, you could start a business repairing or refurbishing broken devices. Any devices you can’t fix can be properly recycled.
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Repair Bicycles: Bicycling is a low-carbon form of transportation, but bikes need regular maintenance and repair. If you have the skills, you could start a bike repair business.
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Refurbish Furniture: Many pieces of furniture are discarded while still in usable condition. With some basic skills and tools, you could start a business refurbishing these pieces and selling them.
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Sustainable Farming: If you have a home vegetable garden, you could sell your produce locally. You could also sell products made from your produce, like pickles, sauces, or teas.
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Make & Sell Green Products: You could make and sell a variety of green and organic products, like personal care and beauty products, natural cleaning products, or reusable alternatives to disposable items.
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Beekeeping: If you have enough space, keeping bees can be a good business. Bees produce honey and beeswax, which can be used to make a variety of products.
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Sustainable Event Planning: Big events can have a large environmental footprint. As a sustainable event planner, you could help clients plan eco-friendly events.
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Green Content Production: Through a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel, you could spread the word about environmental issues and make money through advertising, affiliate marketing, or sponsorships.
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Organic Catering or Meal Service: Green caterers use locally grown and organic ingredients and minimize waste. A meal delivery service could also reduce the need for excess packaging and transportation.
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Eco-Friendly Bed & Breakfast: If you have a large home in a tourist-friendly area, you could run a bed and breakfast with a focus on sustainability.
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Eco-Travel Planning: As an eco-travel planner, you could guide clients to lower-carbon transportation, eco-friendly hotels, and activities that don’t damage the environment.
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Bicycle Tours: Lead bike tours around your area, helping travelers explore local destinations while keeping their carbon emissions to a minimum.
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Tailoring: A tailor can help clients’ wardrobes be more sustainable by repairing worn garments, altering secondhand clothing, and creating custom-made clothes using sustainable materials and methods.
Starting a green business can be a great way to stand out, attract eco-conscious customers, and do your part for the environment. Once you have an idea, develop a business plan that includes details like the supplies you need, your funding sources, and your plans for pricing products and marketing your business. From there, you can move on to registering and funding your business, getting necessary licenses, and setting up shop.
