Business ideas are hard to come by. They come to serve a need or solve a problem and ultimately provide benefits to consumers. And speaking of problems, one of the more pressing ones is that of the environment. More and more businesses are taking into account a more eco-friendly mindset. Sustainability and reusable products are now gaining more attention. In fact, practices such as supply chain decarbonization and recycling are starting to be done more often. Some companies only partially integrate this eco-friendly mindset into their daily grind, while others make their entire company revolve around it. And so, it’s only natural for the eco-minded businessperson to ask: what sorts of business ideas can be done?
- Biodegradable Product Tags
Product tags are everywhere. Whether you’re the type to buy online or purchase from a walk-in retail outlet, there’s bound to be a tag of some sort. You could cater to a lot of various companies by creating plantable tags. You could offer to print their logos and taglines on seed paper, which you can either source online or create yourself if you have the access to the materials needed. And then, these tags can grow into a variety of different plants that would help the ecosystem one way or another. If you’d rather work with individual people as opposed to companies, you could sell the plantable cards as gift tags to be used for birthdays or holidays. It’s an efficient way to reduce the waste that comes with any regular purchase. These plantable tags also help cultivate the mindset and habit of planting more.
- Organic Pencils
While many people have made the transition from the regular pen and paper work to a more digital space, there’s still no denying the reliability of the good old pencil. There’s still a market especially when it comes to artists who prefer to practice sketching the traditional way instead of on a digital pad. You could opt to turn these pencils into bamboo products. It can help lessen the cutting of trees to a certain extent, which is great for keeping the air clean. You can also try to make it similar to the product tags mentioned above and make the pencils plantable. Either way, you would have to find a trusted source for the materials needed to make sure they are truly organic.
- Upcycling Products
Upcycling is recycling’s much cooler cousin. While you may know recycling as the habit of reusing certain objects for similar purposes, upcycling involves making a new life out of them. It raises the value of whatever product you sell—both financial and otherwise—and reduces waste. It may take a bit of work and a lot of skill-learning especially if this is a venture you’re not too familiar with, but you may find that it’s worth it in the long run. You can still choose to oversee it all if you’re the kind who wants to monitor performance of marketing channels.
Fashion
Fashion is easily upcycled. Too often there are scrap fabrics that are put into waste, which can hurt the environment even more. If you’re knowledgeable with the sewing machine (or at least willing to become knowledgeable), you may want to consider upcycling fashion. You can source scrap fabrics for less and sew them together into brand-new clothing. It can actually give a more quirky, laid-back look compared to the usual polished pieces at the store. Think of it as the perfect way to express creativity while also lending a hand to sustainability.
Furniture
You can also opt to fix up furniture for reselling. If you don’t already have access to old furniture, it may seem difficult to try and look for some. Still, those moving houses nearby your area may be selling their old furniture for more affordable prices—which is a practical way of sourcing materials. Of course, you’ll need to know how to sand down and clean different types of furniture. And it would also help to know how to paint piece properly. Otherwise, you can always find people to hire to do so.
- Thrift Shop
Opening a thrift shop is a surefire way to reduce waste and provide comfort to the eco-minded. Vintage products have a habit of creeping into pop culture every so often, and so you can be sure that there will be those who prefer to go old school. It’s also helpful for consumers who wish to have more affordable options.
Clothing
Thrifted clothing seems to have its own unique style. These are pieces that can’t seem to be found in the regular outlets, donated by a variety of people. There are a lot of young people who are into thrifting clothes, which can bring about social media posts about your store—thus creating a great regular marketing campaign.
Books
There’s a comfortable air that comes with a thrifted book store. While many consumers can buy ebooks online, having a physical book to hold is simply different in itself. Besides, it’s possible that there are some titles that can’t be easily bought as ebooks.
- Zero-Waste Grocery Store
The trend of zero-waste has been thriving in the past few years. As such, the idea of a zero-waste grocery store may earn a lot. After all, everyone buys groceries at some point. The great part about these zero-waste stores is that they don’t make use of plastic or other harmful methods of packaging. Having such a store can actually encourage more sustainable behavior on the part of the consumers as well.
Going Green
While there are many other various ideas you can choose for your eco-friendly business, the simple act of taking a step in that direction is already a great opportunity. It’s only in following through with it that you’ll be able to truly help the environment.
Image source Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels
