5 Eco Friendly Side Hustle Ideas
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If one of your new year’s resolutions is to take a more sustainable approach to life, you might be wondering if there are any eco-friendly ways to make extra money. Well, I’ve got you covered with these five eco friendly side hustle ideas.
Last year, the IPCC report on climate change made it clear that we are at a critical stage in the fight against global warming. Many people are gradually overhauling their lifestyles towards more sustainable living.
While it can be overwhelming at first, small changes can make a big difference. You may not have thought about it before, but how and where we spend money can have an impact on the environment. That can also be said for the way we make money.
Below I’m going to take a look at some of the most eco-friendly side hustles so your commitment to a more sustainable life can continue
5 Sustainable Side Hustle Ideas
1. Start An Eco or Sustainability Blog
If you’re passionate about sustainability then starting a blog to share your journey and inspire others can be a great way to make extra money. You could support other sustainable businesses by becoming an affiliate and earning a commission when you make sales of their products.
If you’re worried about an increased carbon footprint from using servers to host your blog, you could choose a website host that has green credentials.
For example, I host my own blogs with Lyrical Host who plants trees for every year you’re with them. This helps offset the carbon footprint created by your website.
2. Eco Friendly Side Hustle Ideas: Become A Reseller
One great side hustle is selling your old clothes on sites like Vinted and eBay. However, it may well get to the point where you no longer have any old clothes left to sell!
If this happens but you find you really enjoy photographing and selling clothing is something, you may want to consider becoming a reseller. Most resellers source clothes from charity shops or from social media selling pages and then sell them for a profit.
While some people may see buying from charity shops to resell as unethical, it actually helps them move stock along (most charity shops actually have more clothing donations than they can ever hope to sell!), prevents clothing from ending up in land-fill and of course, the charity still makes money.
There is actually enough clothing on planet earth currently to clothe the next six generations of human beings. Anything to help slow down fast fashion and stop clothes getting wasted is a win for sustainability.
Don’t forget, you’ll want to ensure your packaging is eco-friendly too. Bespoke packaging can make sure your reselling business is fulfilling all of its eco-credentials and many customers now prefer packaging that is plastic-free and easy to recycle.
3. Provide Delivery Services – From Your Bike!
When thinking of eco-friendly side hustles, providing delivery services for the likes of JustEat and Deliveroo might not be the first thing that comes to mind – especially with all the extra fuel you’ll be burning.
However, lots of people make deliveries from their bicycles. This works especially well in city centres where there are lots of restaurants and lots of people living in the area, as there is high demand. You’ll also be getting lots of extra exercises while out and about although this might be a better side hustle for the summer months!
4. Sustainable Side Hustle: Upcycle and Restore Old Furniture
There is a huge trend right now for recycled and upcycled furniture. Television programs such as ‘The Repair Shop’ and ‘Money For Nothing’ are brilliant at showing people how old items can be restored, repaired and refinished into something unique.
Doing this as a side hustle is a great way to earn money and stop items from ending in landfills. While there is some level of skill involved, it’s definitely something that could be learnt. Just ensure you’re charging for your time as well as other costs such as paints.
5. Propagate and Sell Plants (eg, Succulents)
If you’re a keen gardener, propagating plants for profit could be the perfect eco-friendly side hustle. The world is always going to need more plants and it’s easy to sell them from your house.
This is a much easier side hustle than say starting a baking business as you don’t need to register with the council.
Disclaimer: If you’re earning more than £100o net per year from your side hustle (excluding matched betting, cashback and selling your own items) then you’ll need to register with HMRC and fill out a tax return. This includes buying items from charity shops or Vinted to resell for a profit.
These are my favourite sustainable and eco-friendly side hustle ideas, are there any that you would add? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
More side hustle ideas:
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How To Turn Your Car Into A Side Hustle
Nice list of ideas Fiona. I have another to consider if you enjoy a little outdoor exercise – start a parking lot litter cleanup business. This service is performed on-foot with simple hand tools. You clean up litter material outside commercial properties for property management companies. Almost as easy to do as going for a walk! You’ll always have plenty of business because people litter. You can make BIG money cleaning up after others.