By Jemimah Chungu
1. Recycling
Recycling can be hand made by using waste and making so many lovely but useful products. The products can be chairs, tables, bins, pillows, house decorations, restaurant decorations, accessories and so many others. Money can be made by opening a recycling business.
Re-usable plastic bottles
Considering plastics are unarguably a top concern for environmentalists and conscious parties, a business opportunity can be made by making people take their refreshing and nourishing drinks without contributing to plastic pollution by initiating a green industry business that designs, produces and sells re-usable plastic bottles. Growing could be done using alternative materials such as metal or glass or renewable plastics from materials like corn starch or sawdust.Environmental conscious (green) companies re-buy their own produced plastic bottles and recycle or re-use them just so they can reduce plastic pollution and the impact on the environment. A small business initiative can be made by selling the re-usable plastic bottles to the environmental conscious companies.
Up-cycled furniture
Another clever way to make money is by breaking down old furniture to make new furniture. Beautiful couches, sofas, tables and dressers can be produced from old furniture. Shelving and storage units can be easily made from wood scraps, and depending on the item. This however requires skills. As such, a skilled person (carpenter) can be involved by supplying him with old furniture and make money, other than wasting more trees to produce furniture. The best part is that it is eco-friendly and gives the handy person decent source of income.
2. Make use of green and organic products
Hand-made, all-natural/organic productsSoaps, cosmetics and cleaning products are just a few of the household products that can be made using common organic materials.
Environmental friendly products can be from typical traditional product recipes like sugar scrub, cinnamon, eggs, tomatoes, lemons vinegar-based cleaning solution and rice water. These can be used advantageously to make money through advertising, packaging (using eco-friendly materials) and selling them. Popular products that are eco-friendly among many products are Chebe products, Millie beauty products and Eco products (like eco-gel).
Eco-friendly beauty salon
Making other people look clean and beautiful while making money is a worthy business. But using organic and vegan hair and beauty products is an eco-friendly worthy business. Money can be made in a hair salon that uses all-natural shampoos and conditioners or a nail salon that uses environmentally friendly and vegan polishes and spa treatments.
Eco-friendly cleaning
A business of simply hiring you for thorough eco-friendly cleaning, can raise your economic status. Common Cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that cause pollution and harm people, animals and the physical environment. Nonetheless eco-friendly cleaning business can exclusively use non-toxic ingredients for instance ashes and vinegar and use brands that minimize use of plastics. Further keeping in mind recycling the packages used.
Farmers’ market wholesaler
Selling naturally grown fruits and vegetables enables a distinct advantage over competing growers who use unoriginal farming procedures, including artificial fertilizers. A proper income can come in by vending (selling) GMO free products, gain popularity and make money.
Organic catering
Organic catering is an eco-friendly business to foodies and the environment. This can be achieved by catering events with delicious and well savoured foods containing organic and locally grown food (GMO free) like meat products, dairy products, vegan products, corn, pumpkin, yams, cassava, avocados and other foods.
3. Creating, supporting and awareness of green business and green living.
Thrifting
Opening a thrift store would not only save the customers money but would earn you money and conserve the environment. Instead of tossing a perfectly good item into the trash, encourage neighbours to donate their used items to you so another person can get value out of the second hand item. You can sell used clothes, books, kitchen appliances and furniture.
An example is ‘thrifting’ and ‘closet sale’ popular on social media
Horticulture and landscaping
Horticulture is practicing of garden cultivation and management. Horticulture involves planting growing and managing trees, flowers, shrubs for sale. Among the cultivated can be food for human consumption and sold for income.
Landscaping is making a garden or other piece of land more attractive by altering the existing design, adding ornamental features, and planting shrubs, flowers and trees. One can become a landscaper as source of income. Landscaping also supports the horticulture business.
Besides, plants, flowers and trees retain soil nutrients that benefit the soil structure and soil organisms; prevent climate change and protect environment at large.
Eco-friendly event planning
Event planners ought to have knowledge on conserving the environment and event planning; use their capability and event-planning skills but find eco-friendly materials. Avoiding plastic goods as much as possible and composting food waste (food can be re-used or replanted) can achieve eco-friendly event planning.This business protects the environment from harm, creates awareness, and inspires change in the community.
Consulting
Eco-consulting enables the consulted to pour knowledge on advocating environmental wellbeing while the consumer gets to act on living a life that advocates environmental well being. Consulting evaluates homes and offices, and offer solutions to make them more environmentally friendly. Solutions can be switching their home appliances to more energy-efficient machines or implement a recycling program. Monetary benefits for companies that go green, are reduced costs and productivity.
Education creativities
A lot of people are not aware of just how much anthropogenic activity causes damage in the environment daily in their lifestyle.One can adopt an initiative of educating the public how to reduce the environmental impact of these lifestyle activities; how driving, using air conditioning in the summer, leaving lights on unnecessarily, using household non-friendly products, throwing things anyhow and other activities contributing to environmental damage.
Environmental publications
Knowledgeable and experts of the environment can engage in publications educating how to prevent the damage onthe environment and conserve resources. Publishing on discrediting popular myths and sharing the truth can alert consumers how their actions affect the globe. Thanks to the internet, publications can be made online and reach a wide coverage. Money can be sourced without making pollution through movements, waste production and others.
Green finance
Green finance focuses on social profitability, monetary profit and environmental profit by supporting local community-level projects with an emphasis on sustainable, ecological friendly agriculture, apiculture, horticulture and others. It is also typically concerned with providing educational opportunities, funding for artistic activities and projects that support local ecology and environment at large.Clearly, money is made by only advising about the environment and the environment hoarded as the advised live on protecting the environment.
