Top 12 Green Business Ideas for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Julie Starr • June 2, 2021



Climate change, carbon emissions, increase in global average temperatures and similar topics are not new subjects to discuss, which is why we’re seeing more and more aspiring business owners gravitate towards more sustainable and ecological business ideas. 

Starting a new business, and saving the planet at the same time, is not impossible.

In fact, being green and more ecological has become more of a prominent factor when it comes to consumers’ interest in buying a company’s products or services. People are starting to care more and more about how the products they’re buying are made and how they can affect the climate footprint. 

What Is a Green Business?  

A green industry business aims to use sustainable materials to manufacture its products and use as little energy, water, and other raw products as possible. 

Green businesses seek ecological ways to reduce carbon emissions or utilize these products in renewable and eco-friendly methods. 

Thanks to this strategy, eco-friendly businesses can lower their use of natural resources and their contribution to climate change.  

A green company also understands that the decisions made regarding its operations or services can have an impact both locally and globally. 

Why Go Green?

Going green not only helps the environment but has many benefits for the business itself too!

Reducing energy costs and improving operational efficiency are just a couple to name.

Top 12 Business ideas  

If you’ve decided that you want to go a different way about starting up your business, and make the planet a little bit healthier, then you’re in the right place. 

Here are 12 eco-friendly business ideas for green entrepreneurs. 

1. Eco-friendly Retail

You can open any type of retail business that uses sustainable products and biodegradable packaging, reducing the climate footprint. 

2. Organic Catering

An organic catering business is great for those with a passion for food. You can cater local or industry events with organic food locally grown ingredients. Using organic ingredients with no harmful components that damage the soil is a great way to provide the never-ending need for food consumption. 

3. Ink Refill Services

You can’t as easily just reduce the number of businesses and individuals that use printers on a daily basis, but what you can do is start a business that refills ink and toner cartridges that thousands of people have to replace every time they run out. 

By refilling something instead of replacing it altogether, you can have a role in reducing plastic pollution and helping the planet along the way.  

4. Composting Business

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture research , In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply. 

By starting a composting business, you can help take the uneaten food and turn it into nutrient-dense soil enhancers.

As a composting company, your business can gather food remains saved from companies or families and use it in gardens, nurseries, and local farms.

5. Green Beauty Salon

Hair and beauty products are notoriously known for having the harshest chemicals and other harmful materials. By starting a green beauty salon or spa, you can implement using organic products that are better for your client and the environment. 

The younger generation consumers are more eco-minded and are willing to pay more for products from companies that work towards environmentally friendly plans and align with their beliefs. 

6. Environmental Blog  

Knowledge about how we as human beings can be more mindful when it comes to buying or using certain harmful stuff can never be enough. 

If you’re someone who’s passionate about the cause, you can launch your website or blog page, helping to inform many others to become aware and hop on with you on this journey. 

There are many companies with great domain name ideas and quality logo designs that can help you with launching your very own website.  

7. Sustainable Events Planner

Whether your friend is having a huge wedding or a local business is hosting a corporate event, these kinds of meetings produce huge amounts of waste and consume valuable resources. 

As a green event planner, you can use sustainable methods to find eco-friendly venues, caterers, accommodation, and more. 

8. Eco-friendly Landscaping Services

Landscaping, in general, is a very successful and profitable business idea for many aspiring entrepreneurs since many homeowners take pride in having their exterior space in good shape. 

Many fail to realize that implementing or maintaining that kind of outdoor space often generates harmful effects on you and the environment. 

With starting a sustainable landscaping business, you can introduce plants that work with their natural habitat, need less care, water, and fewer pesticides. 

9. Second-hand Stores 

Thrifting is a perfect business option for those who want to shop a unique style and help the environment along the way. 

The planet doesn’t need new virgin fabrics being produced day in and out. You can open a second-hand store that sells vintage clothes and is sustainable.  

10. Climate-friendly Cleaning Products

Traditional cleaners are filled with harmful compounds and toxins. An eco-friendly business can use green products that won’t have the same effects and are more sustainable. 

11. Solar Panel Installation

As a solar panel installation business, you can take clean and renewable solar energy and transform it into useable electricity. 

Solar panels are particularly beneficial in rural places where power may be generated without being connected to the main electric grid. Still, they are also becoming increasingly common in new construction in urban areas.

12. Biodegradable Pet Products 

When it comes to shopping for pets, owners are willing to pay large amounts of money and go all out. Unfortunately, some of these products contribute greatly to our climate footprint. 

Eco-friendly pet products such as upcycled toys, compostable poop bags/cat litters, or organic pet shampoos can be great options for a more sustainable replacement. 

General Tips for Green Business Owners 

  • Use renewable resources such as recapturing heat generated by your computers or refrigeration equipment and using it to heat your water.
  • Donate material you no longer use.
  • Use digital record-keeping. 
  • Keep an eye on your water consumption.
  • Use sustainable packaging.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.