Sustainability has become more than a trend. It’s not an option anymore but a necessity and more and more businesses are going green to support the initiative. Eco-friendly companies are incredibly committed to sustainability with the primary goal to create a positive impact on worldwide communities while identifying valuable marketing opportunities that allow them to grow.
With more and more eco-minded entrepreneurs embracing the social responsibility of starting a green business comes greater eco-awareness among consumers. According to some statistics, over 65% of U.S. consumers would instead buy from sustainable brands.
Green businesses are on the rise, providing countless opportunities for meaningful market growth. 61% of Millennials are prepared to pay more for eco-friendly services and products. Since the number of consumers choosing green businesses is constantly growing, let’s see some of the best sustainable business ideas for eco-minded entrepreneurs.
Sustainable Fashion
Fast fashion is a worldwide industry that generates countless tons of textile waste in the United States alone. Unfortunately, only around 15% of that textile waste can be recycled and reused. Since this textile waste issue has gained momentum, many consumers have shown a growing interest in second-hand clothes.
If you know a thing or two about fashion and have an eye for style, starting your resale shop both online and offline could be a fantastic business idea these days. Thanks to platforms like Shopify, you can easily set your online store or choose to build and market your website.
There are many social media marketplaces like Instagram where you can make this work. And if you’re having trouble with your sales, you can easily hire salesforce consulting services online to improve your online marketing and advertising efforts.
Design Sustainable Alternatives to Household Items
Every home produces vast amounts of waste every month. Everyday items like produce bags, paper towels, and cotton rounds are all non-recyclable. Because of that, more people should replace them with sustainable alternatives.
A good eco-green business idea would be to create sustainable alternatives to these household items that you can market and sell. Produce bags can be woven or sewn for frequent reuse, flannel cotton rounds are fully washable, and you can replace plastic wraps with wax cloth wraps. Creating such sustainable alternatives can be an effective way to build your brand and generate profit.
A Green Catering Business
Catering is an excellent go-to solution for business meetings, events, weddings, and all sorts of such happenings that involve many people. However, the biggest problem with these events is that they generate significant pollution through transportation and food waste.
This can be easily solved by starting a green catering business that can reduce the environmental impact by using reusable dishware and linens, serving seasonal and local food, and composting leftovers.
Eco-friendly Meal Delivery
Delivery services have become extremely high in demand since the coronavirus outbreak, so naturally, starting an eco-friendly meal delivery business sounds like a great idea.
You can consider delivering locally produced meals to your customers’ doorsteps, reducing the waste that comes from unsold produce at local grocery stores, global and cross-country shipments, and packaging. By 2027, meal delivery may reach $20 billion. Build your brand by partnering with local producers and start growing your eco-friendly business.
Install Energy-Efficient and Smart Appliances
The smart home appliances market is constantly growing and expanding. Industry professionals expect to achieve steady growth of 14% by 2027. In other words, hundreds of thousands of households will need installation services for their new tech.
Although smart home appliances aren’t fully green and eco-friendly, most brands prioritize energy efficiency. This is huge for homeowners to save on utility bills. You can quickly grow your eco-friendly brand by becoming a smart home technician. Assist customers in making smart home upgrades. For example, installing sprinkler, lights, and thermostats systems that can help reduce water and energy waste and costs.
Become a Green Builder
Construction is a vast industry that uses a lot of resources to project and construct buildings. Buildings also generate a lot of waste through construction and demolition. Therefore, they have a considerable impact on the surrounding environment and land.
At the moment, sustainable and eco-friendly residential homes are incredibly high in demand. The entire construction industry is improving every aspect of its operations to be more sustainable. From sourcing raw building materials to installing energy-efficient solutions. Therefore, becoming a green contractor or a green building consultant makes for an excellent sustainable business idea.
Become a Green Business Investor
Investing in green businesses is also an excellent sustainable business idea. Suppose you consider running a green business yourself too much of a responsibility. In that case, you can become an investor and provide proper financial support for other eco-minded entrepreneurs trying to make the world a healthier place.
Conclusion
All these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. Climate activism is here to stay, and it can go in any direction possible. From building green software and apps, designing eco-friendly toys for children, and recycling e-waste to producing recycled plastic and paper products, green interior design, and sustainable photography, the options for starting a sustainable business are endless.
Author: Lisa Dinh
