As the scope of the impact of human activities on the environment becomes clearer, and the threat of global warming continues to grow, a significant portion of the population has become cognizant to the fact that we cannot possibly continue to plunder the earth according to our wills without suffering from its repercussions.

In this climate, the economic feasibility of green businesses has increased by leaps and bounds; consumers have become a lot more discerning about the products they buy and wish to patronize businesses that aren’t just concerned with making profit, but also care about the planet.

If you’re an entrepreneur and wish to enter the green business market, the time is ripe to do so. And as consumers continue to recognize the importance of protecting the environment, the value of green businesses is only going to increase in the future. With that in mind, here is a list of eco-friendly businesses you can gain some inspiration from!

1. Green Fast Food

Think of fast food and the image that pops up in our head is one of greasy, unhealthy mass-produced food – but it doesn’t have to be like that. The advantages of starting a healthy fast food business using organic and sustainably produced ingredients is two-fold – not only are your customers going to appreciate your sustainable practices, they will also favour your joint over other outlets that serve unhealthy fast food. Your main goal should be to inform your customers of the health benefits of eating organic food and the sustainability of your supply chain.

Urban locations are ideal for healthy fast food outlets as residents there are usually the most well-informed about environmental concerns and are extremely health-conscious. In addition to serving at your outlet, in due time you can also start catering for events to add an extra dimension to your business. 

2. Organic Grocery Delivery

If opening up a fast food restaurant seems too much for you, you can supply the organic ingredients to people who want to cook healthy food at home. This business has grown a lot in the past few years as people are becoming increasingly conscious of the untenable and unhealthy manner grocery supplies are usually grown and are unable to find organic food in the supermarkets they usually shop in.

This business is centered on making deliveries to your customer’s home, so ensuring that you have a strong logistical infrastructure is incredibly important. Offering deliveries of organic foods to your customer’s doorstep is the ideal way to conduct business, although you can also make deliveries to a centralized location from which your customers can pick up their supplies.

3. Second Hand Store

Consumers are gradually realizing the shocking wastefulness of day-to-day living; so many things that we buy and consume are discarded into the waste-bin well before they perish, it is almost criminal. The importance of recycling and reusing the goods that we buy is therefore of utmost importance if we wish to stop the rampant exploitation of natural resources to fuel our appetite for unsustainable consumerism.

By opening a second hand store, you can help people to save some money in addition to helping the environment. Everything from furniture, books, clothes, kitchen appliances to desktops and smartphones can be retailed in your shop, thus providing a one-stop location for environmentally-concerned shoppers.

4. Composting

Waste is such a relative term, especially if you’re in the composting business. By turning every day food waste into a source of nourishment for soil, composting is an excellent business choice as it helps the environment in two ways – by not having food waste dumped in landfill, and also by providing farmers with an excellent natural fertilizer.

Composting involves the breakdown of organic waste using worms. The waste is added to a composting pit in which the worms feed on it and after a certain period, convert it into manure for farming. As there is always going to be waste people want to get rid of, this business is an environmentally sound formula for making it big.

Green businesses are more economically viable than ever before and their potential for growth in the future is bright as well. So if you want to start a green business, now is the time to do it!