The green building sector is growing due to both the increased awareness around the threat posed by climate change and the desire to lower our energy bills. While this is great news for both the planet and our wallets, it is also creating opportunities for entrepreneurs who want to combine their passion for the environment with their business skills. While any business can adjust their practices to become more environmentally friendly, there are plenty of ways to create a business which delivers an eco-friendly product or service. Here are six green business ideas for entrepreneurs looking to launch a start-up in the green building sector.
Supplier of Green Building Materials
There are lots of homeowners, homebuilders, and developers out there who are searching for materials which will make their buildings more environmentally friendly and sustainable. You could start a business which sells materials like sheep’s wool insulation, solar roof tiles or low-carbon heating systems like air source heat pumps or solar thermal panels.
Green House Cleaning Services
Home cleaning – either internal or external – often involves the use of chemicals and substances which are not good for the environment. However, if you can provide a service which cleans the home using natural and sustainable materials and methods you can target the green homeowner market. For example, a pressure washing company may be able to clean the outside of a home or patio by using small amounts of water at high pressure with no chemicals. Of course, a pressure washing company will need to ensure they have the correct pressure washing insurance. Display this on your website to show customers that you are a reliable company to use.
Other green cleaning services could be pool cleaning with sustainable products or cleaning air ducts to improve both air quality and efficiency.
Trash Collection and/or Recycling Service
When homeowners have large items which need disposing of, all too often they do so incorrectly either through ignorance or lack of the correct equipment. Why not start a service which collects items like this and disposes of them correctly? You could also run a recycling collection business so that recyclable items can be recycled and used again.
Green Landscape Designer
Many homeowners want to ensure that their outside space is as environmentally friendly as their inside space, and this is where sustainable landscape designers can help. You could work with homeowners and developers to design a space which doesn’t require a lot of water, is created using sustainable materials and includes plants and trees which benefit the ecosystem. This could include planting flowers which attract bees or growing their own fruits and vegetables.
Furniture Upcycling
When it comes to furnishing a green home, there are much more environmentally friendly ways to go about it than buying new. Furniture upcycle companies will buy old and unwanted furniture and either improve it so it can be sold on and used again or recycle their materials for use in another project. Here is a guide to upcycling for beginners.
Solar Panel Installation
The sun is a renewable source of energy which can be converted into electricity to power our homes, businesses and electric vehicles and/or used to heat water for our taps, etc. Solar PV panels and solar thermal panels are becoming more and more popular as prices drop and efficiencies increase, so starting a solar panel installation business could be a great investment for the future.
