Eco-friendly products are even worth more to 61% of Millennials. Gen Z follows at 58%, suggesting this trend will continue. 52 percent believe manufacturers and businesses are most responsible for the environment’s future.
Let’s explore what makes a business “green” and how to start a sustainable business as more consumers choose eco-friendly brands.
Green business
Green businesses prioritize conservation and sustainability. They may support green initiatives through local partnerships and philanthropy and reduce their environmental impact.
Solar panel installation promotes renewable energy and offers a green product. These sustainable green products are easy to spot. Mindful consumers would buy it to meet their sustainability goals.
Other green businesses may not seem eco-friendly, but they prioritize sustainable materials and procedures. A printing company may use recycled paper and solar energy to reduce environmental impact. These companies can set a sustainable standard to market to most consumers who support sustainability.
Eco-friendly businesses
Green businesses help save the environment and support a cause consumers care about. We have green business ideas if you want to leave your office job and pursue climate action.
Sell eco-fashion
Textile waste is billions of tons. Fast fashion causes climate change and carbon emissions. Fast fashion requires cheap single-fiber garments that we cannot recycle.
If you love fashion and the environment, sell sustainable fashion. You can resell old clothes in-store or online. Check out our guide on starting an online thrift store. Create a sustainable clothing brand.
You can sell upcycled clothing if you sew.
Provide plant delivery
You could deliver plants to homes and businesses to improve indoor air quality. You can open a local flower, ornamental house plant, and landscape plant nursery.
You can sell plants to local households or local businesses.
Shipping and delivery must be planned. Package and ship your plants safely.
Consider shipping’s environmental impact. If you live in a city with enough customers, you can offset by planting trees or delivering by bike. This eco-friendly business idea helps the environment and builds community.
Grow and sell food
Organic food is healthy and economical. Growing food is a profitable, sustainable business. Consumers support farmer-produced local food. Start a sustainable garden and sell food at the farmers market. Spices and sauces are profitable year-round.
Local food reduces grocery shopping, packaging, transportation, and large-scale production waste.
Organic cosmetics
Alcohol, sulfates, fragrances, and other chemicals in most beauty products can damage skin over time. These beauty products also pollute the environment during production. Thus, many consumers have switched to natural, organic, and zero-waste makeup and beauty products.
Make organic beauty products for healthy skin and the environment. DIY beauty care can become a green business. This will reduce beauty product production’s environmental impact.
Ink refilling business
Ink refills make paper printing greener. Eco-friendly ink refilling is profitable.
Need paper. Reusing ink cartridges reduces landfill waste. This can keep tonnes of non-biodegradable waste from landfills.
Examine the competition to find market gaps. Offer great service and low prices to gain market share.
Composting business
Food waste dominates environmental, social, and economic issues. Global food waste totals 1.3 billion tonnes. Food waste wastes production resources.
Food waste in landfills emits harmful carbon dioxide and methane.
Composting businesses reduce food waste and make money.
Local composting businesses can compost food waste from families and businesses. Pick up compost. Retailers and local gardeners can buy your compost.
Eco-friendly children’s toys
Plastics and other unsustainable materials make most toys. Plastics pollute and harm people.
Making eco-friendly children’s toys and gifts from sustainable materials is a creative business idea.
Returning to natural, sustainable wood, re-creating nonsustainable favorites with sustainable materials, or coming up with something new are eco-friendly options.
You can make toys with eco-friendly materials and non-toxic paint and sell them locally or online.
Eco-business consultant
Do you understand eco-living? Share sustainable living skills? Green living expert? You can charge for your expertise and promote eco-friendly living, values, and learning.
You can consult homes, offices, and organizations on sustainable ways to go green.
You can advise clients on reducing production energy and carbon footprints. To reduce waste, electricity, and office paper, you can help a company start a recycling program. For credibility, get certified.
Start a sustainable event-planning business
Birthday parties, festivals, and other events produce lots of waste. Most events use paper plates, beer cans, plastics, and other non-biodegradable materials that end up in landfills.
Sustainable event planning can reduce waste and create a business. Event customers can reduce their carbon footprint by contacting eco-friendly suppliers for greener materials.
Reusable cups and cutlery from a local or online zero-waste store can help your business avoid single-use items. You could even incorporate education to promote zero waste or other environmental issues.
Solar panel installer
Solar panel installation is an eco-friendly trade business idea. Helping households switch to solar energy reduces carbon emissions and fossil fuel use.
Electrical installers can install solar panels. Homes, offices, and environmental organizations can install solar panels.
Energy-saving panels reduce electricity bills. You can also get certifications or join an apprenticeship or training program to boost your credibility.
Used books
Making, selling, and shipping new books generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. Selling used books is a simple green business.
You will help our planet and promote reading and learning. Used bookstores can be opened online or offline.
Eco-friendly pet products
Eco-friendly pet products can be a profitable green business idea.
Pets cost Americans billions. Waste is abundant. Eco-conscious consumers will buy upcycled fabrics, bamboo, natural homemade tears, and other sustainable products.
Eco-friendly salon
Hair salons use toxic chemicals and disposable plastics and paper.
An eco-friendly salon reduces waste from hair salons’ thousands of plastics.
Open a beauty salon that uses refillable green products, eco-friendly hair treatments, zero waste, all-natural shampoos, and spa treatments. Use energy and water sustainably.
Energy-efficient appliances
In 2026, smart home appliance revenue is expected to grow by 14.69%. In the same year, 339.6 million active households are predicted5. With this success, thousands of consumers will prioritize smart tech and seek smart home technicians for advice and installation.
Knowing this, you can become a home technician and help customers install energy-efficient smart lights, thermostats, sprinklers, etc. Helping households switch to energy-efficient lighting can save customers money and build a profitable business.
Organic catering business.
Consumers today prefer local organic foods and sustainable living. To help the environment, consumers are eating more vegetarian and vegan meals.
You can satisfy customers if you love delicious or chemical-free healthy food. Thus, organic catering is a great green business idea. Start catering local events and expand to other locations.
Our planet needs eco-conscious business owners and consumers more than ever. Sustainable businesses protect the environment and boost profits. Our list of eco-friendly companies above may inspire business innovations.
