Sustainable Startups: Green Ideas for a Better Future

The sustainable and eco-conscious retail market is a booming industry, growing to meet the ever-increasing demand from consumers for companies and large corporations to fulfill their responsibility in supporting a better future for people and the planet alike. 

When starting a sustainable business, it is vital to focus on the small details alongside the more impactful components. Selecting eco-friendly office equipment and kitchen appliances like printers, computers, and coffee machines for offices is equally crucial as implementing recycling schemes and investing in sustainable energy sources. Ensure that your green business legitimately prioritizes sustainable practices, as consumers are highly aware of greenwashing tactics. These tactics typically include companies that falsely label and market themselves as ‘green.’ 

Upcycled Furniture Restoration

Too often, people discard old and broken furniture. But with basic templates and the right power tools, you can learn how to break down and reassemble a wide variety of pieces, including tables, chairs, bedframes, and dressers, creating new pieces you can paint and sell. 

Furthermore, items like shelving and storage units can easily be made from wood scraps using crafting templates and ideas found online. Depending on the item you create, you may have the opportunity to fully restore a valuable and unique furniture piece. Alternatively, if you are handy with a sewing machine, you can reupholster old chairs and couches to resell online. 

Handmade & Organic Products

Soaps, candles, cosmetics, and cleaning products are just some of the regular household items that can be

made using common organic materials that are free of toxic chemicals and harmful ingredients. 

While anyone can find easy recipes for sugar scrubs, rosemary hair oil, and vinegar-based cleaning solutions online to make at home, developing aromatic and visually appealing products that can be packaged and sold as sets gives your customers access to all-natural products in one convenient place. Local craft markets, retail events, and online websites are the ideal places to sell your products. 

Green Finance

Green finance focuses on supporting local, community-level projects, specifically projects involving sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture. Typically, special emphasis is shown toward educational programs and opportunities as well as funding endeavors that support local ecology. 

It is important to note that green finance is closely intertwined with social profitability. While profit margins are a vital aspect of all business ventures, this financial approach prioritizes projects that benefit the local community and the natural world. 

Organic Catering

Despite costing more than regular produce, organic food sales continue to skyrocket, with more and more people choosing to invest in more expensive but higher-quality produce and food products. As the industry gains more popularity and momentum, organic food growers should consider starting a catering company to share their passion for healthy and sustainable food and the environment it is sourced from. 

Tap into the market of catering local events and business luncheons, providing high-quality, organic, and locally grown ingredients, free-range meats, and vegan, paleo, and gluten-free meal options to attract a customer base of wellness enthusiasts and nature lovers. 

Ink Refill Business

Anyone who has ever owned a printer knows the hassle and expense that comes with changing ink cartridges. While you may question how sustainable and eco-friendly starting an ink refill business may be, considering the amount of paper wasted every year, reusing old cartridges can reduce the amount of nonbiodegradable waste that ends up in landfills and allow you to build a highly profitable business at the same time. 

Printers, copiers, and paper are still necessities in the business world despite the big leap many organizations are making to become paperless, but lowering the number of empty ink containers can help offset the impact of these machines and reduce a company’s carbon footprint. 

Farmers Market Vendor

The organic movement is more popular than ever and shows no signs of slowing down. Those blessed with a green thumb and a passion for farming have a golden opportunity to capitalize on this booming industry by growing and selling pesticide-free and non-GMO produce at their local farmer's markets and farm stands. 

Selling produce that is naturally grown, high-quality, and delicious to eat will give you a leg up on competing farmers who use traditional farming methods. It is important to remember that you will likely need to seek the proper certification and licenses from your city’s health board before you can begin trading. 

Bicycle Repair & Refurbishment

Biking short distances instead of driving is not only better for your health but also monumentally beneficial to the environment. And like most forms of transportation, bicycles occasionally require maintenance and repairs to work smoothly and efficiently. 

If you live in a country or community where bike riding is a popular pastime or form of transport, you could establish yourself as the go-to location for all things repair and maintenance. Should you have the extra space available, you can purchase older bikes and fix them up to resell for a profit. As an added bonus, according to a study conducted by the University of Oxford, swapping just one of your car trips per day for a bike ride can lower your carbon emissions by a whopping 67%.