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Learn how to start selling sustainable, eco-friendly products online, with inspiring examples and actionable tips from real-life successful ecommerce brands.
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As the realities of climate change become more obvious each day, being thoughtful about how we consume is increasingly important—and consumers are now demanding that brands answer the call.
One study found that 64% of today’s consumers rank sustainability as one of the most important value drivers when buying products. On top of this, 80% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products—some are willing to pay 9.7% more for products that are locally sourced, made from eco-friendly materials, and produced in a supply chain with a low-carbon footprint.
It’s clear that selling eco-friendly products is not only a feel-good business idea—it’s also a potentially lucrative one. Ahead, discover dozens of product ideas, from reusable bottles to snacks made from food scraps.
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Eco-friendly products are products that meet strict standards for how their manufacturing process, packaging, delivery, use, and disposal affect the environment. These products are often certified by third-party organizations that can verify their sustainability claims.
“Eco-friendly” and “sustainable” are interchangeable umbrella terms that signify a brand or product’s minimal impact on humans, animals, and the planet. These products or brands will possess one or more of the following traits:
Whether you’re looking to sell sustainable products for home office design, ethical loungewear, or clean comfort foods, we’ve got you covered. Read on to discover tips to get started as an eco entrepreneur—and protect the planet, one refillable water bottle at a time.
Our list includes real examples of successful brands selling the best eco-friendly products in each category—everything from green cleaning products to single-use plastic alternatives.
To help you navigate the best ideas for your brand, this list is divided into categories like apparel, pet goods, food, and tech. Let’s dig into each of these categories, with more specific ideas to meet customer expectations.
Imagine an eco-friendly future powered by innovative gadgets. Technology has advanced in recent years to maximize the sun’s rays to power more products with longer battery life.
Developing a product from scratch can take years of R&D, but this is a great option if you have a winning business idea. A quicker way to get started in the space involves either dropshipping or white labeling existing electronic products, like rechargeable battery packs.
Consider also the waste created by technology accessories—every time you upgrade your mobile phone, another case ends up in the landfill. Compostable cases, or other accessories made from recycled or reusable materials, are also easy eco-friendly products to make or source, and sell.
Pela Case sells compostable cases for phones and AirPods, and the brand’s site boasts that the production of its products produces 30% fewer carbon emissions and uses 34% less water than the production of conventional cases.
EcoFlow manufactures clean generators, portable solar panels, and power chargers that use renewable energy to keep gadgets running on the go.
Oakywood is a maker of home office tech accessories created using natural materials like wood, cork, and wool. For every handcrafted item the brand sells, one tree is planted. Oakywood has planted more than 87,000 trees.
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💡 Tip: Skip the R&D stage by dropshipping or white labeling eco-friendly tech products.
Pet adoption experienced a boom during the pandemic. People had more time to spend at home, and we love to spoil our pets. The pet product industry has boomed since, with more than $150 billion worth of pet products sold each year in the US.
Cater to these proud pet parents while also minimizing waste with eco-friendly product ideas for dogs and cats. Think pet beds made from recycled plastic bottle fill, dog treats baked with organic ingredients, and leashes and collars sewn with natural biodegradable materials.
Wigglywoos is a pet brand that’s committed to using animal-free products to produce its products. That includes hemp- and cork-based vegan leather. All products are made sustainably in small batches in the Wigglywoos home studio.
Harry Barker is known for its designer dog toys and accessories. But there’s more than meets the eye: Many of its products are made sustainably. From recycled yarn toys to leashes made from recycled plastic bottles, Harry Barker blends high-end design with earth-friendly materials, while reducing plastic waste.
Shameless Pets’ treats are made from food rescued from agricultural and production waste streams, diverting thousands of pounds of food from landfills—every product is made from at least 25% upcycled ingredients. The brand also packages its treats in PCR (post-consumer waste) plastic bags and boasts solar-powered production facilities.
💡Tip: Producing and selling food products (even for pets) involves some upfront work to ensure you are meeting safety and labeling requirements unique to each region.
The fashion industry has long contributed to environmental destruction and unethical production conditions. But that’s changing, thanks to a movement of fashion brands putting the earth—and people—first. A pushback against fast fashion has helped sustainable brands thrive.
If you’re looking to start a fashion business, bake sustainability into your strategy with a thoughtful, transparent supply chain to reduce your carbon footprint. Some eco-friendly product ideas for fashion include garments made from organic materials, locally produced fashion lines, vegan alternatives to leather, and versatile, well-made clothes meant to be worn for life.
Franc is a B Corp–certified company producing Tencel and organic cotton basics at partner factories paying fair wages to production staff.
Pangaia takes sustainability seriously. The activewear brand considers its impact throughout the entire supply chain of its comfy activewear line, from using innovative materials like recycled cotton and renewable PLNTFIBER to measuring and reducing its carbon footprint.
Uniform Handmade is committed to designing simple, versatile pieces that last. The clothing brand handcrafts its capsule wardrobe-friendly garments in a small studio using linen and natural dyes.
With grocery store prices rising and the extra time afforded by skipping the commute, the past few years have seen an uptick in demand for plants and gardening products. Now is the time, as an aspiring entrepreneur, to jump on this trend.
Offer products to help customers realize the balcony container gardens of their dreams. Or supply them with décor items to turn their backyards into a staycation oasis.
Seed-growing kits, planters, handcrafted patio sets, recycled outdoor rugs, birdhouses, and beekeeping supplies are all popular eco-friendly products you can sell online. Also, consider the learning curve required to acquire a green thumb: Can you sell digital products like gardening courses?
Orta Gardens makes small-scale gardening easy with self-watering planters, seed pods, and microgreen kits. The brand’s blog is also packed with helpful advice for waste-free gifting and DIY projects—a smart content marketing strategy to attract its target audience.
💡 Tip: If you are selling live plants or soil online, there may be restrictions regarding shipping across state or country borders. Check with your local government.
Radiate brings the joy of camping everywhere, with portable campfires. These oversized candles are made with recycled wax and multiple paper wicks for clean burning—and the outer tin can be reused for storage.
Yardbird outdoor furniture is the perfect addition to a cozy backyard retreat. It’s also made with recycled ocean plastic, but looks just like natural wicker. The brand keeps a running tally of plastic waste rescued from oceans (430,000 pounds in 2022 alone) and offsets 100% of its carbon emissions.
BackYardHive sells budding beekeepers everything they need to get started. The brand is an advocate for healthy bee-centric and chemical-free beekeeping practices, spreading its mission through online courses and beginner beekeeping kits.
Organic. Fair trade. Vegan. Solar-grown. There are plenty of buzzwords in the food industry as consumers become more conscious of what they’re putting into their bodies.
While it’s a packed market, there’s still plenty of room for entrepreneur types to put a new twist on an old favorite and sell food online. Eco-friendly food products can include items produced with natural or organic ingredients, products sourced using fair trade practices, creative alternatives to animal ingredients, and food made from imperfect produce.
Higher Grounds Coffee is a certified B Corp company committed to sustainability all along its supply chain, from partnering with charities to providing living wages through fair trade programs to delivering beans by bike.
Pulp Pantry takes perfectly edible veggie pulp (the byproduct of juicing) and combines it with delicious flavors, resulting in a crispy chip. The brand’s aim is to address some of the 133 billion pounds of food that end up in landfills each year.
The at-home fitness trend reached a high during pandemic lockdowns, with many replacing their gym memberships with Pelotons, weight sets, and other gear to work out from home. This trend is here to stay, with many enjoying the convenience of staying fit on the spot.
There are plenty of ways you can enter this space with innovative products that also make a minimal impact on the planet. Think sportswear and yoga gear constructed with recycled or renewable materials: cork yoga mats, plant-based leather running shoes, and gear that’s made to last.
Norm produces sustainable products for active living, including sneakers made from 90% recycled materials, and organic cotton and recycled cotton t-shirts. The brand also takes back well-loved sneakers to recycle them into new products, considering sustainability across the entire lifecycle of what it sells.
Manduka’s eKO series yoga mats are made from natural renewable rubber—a 100%-biodegradable product—and non-AZO dyes. The brand also accepts used mats as part of its LiveON recycling program.
Five12 is a performance-wear brand committed to using innovative materials to manufacture its products. Recycled fishing nets, recycled water bottles, and even windshields have a chance at a second life, becoming shorts or tops that are UV-protected and moisture-wicking.
💡 Tip: Fitness trends can change quickly. Do adequate market research before you start your business.
Clean beauty isn’t a new concept. But the increase in consumer awareness of what goes in and on their bodies has seen the trend surge without signs of stopping. Even makeup giants like Sephora dedicate entire collections to products that are considered “clean.”
Generally, the term refers to products made from organic and naturally derived ingredients and/or products that don’t contain certain ingredients, like sulfates in shampoo or conditioner. When selling makeup or skin care products online, it’s important to find a niche in the crowded market.
Think eco-friendly products for specific skin types or underrepresented markets, or research ingredient trends. What about earth-friendly alternatives to personal care items like conventional toilet paper?
Consider packaging in the equation, too: Can you offer a zero-waste option like a refillable tube? What about a plastic-free and waterless shampoo bar? Or reusable makeup remover pads and cotton swabs?
Tsuno’s sustainable take on tampons and other personal care products uses bleach-free organic cotton, compared to conventional alternatives. And each box sold helps fund girls’ educations in Sierra Leone and Uganda.
VirtueBrush eliminates the plastic waste from hair brushes and disposable toothbrushes by making versions with renewable bamboo and plastic-free packing. The company is also dedicated to offsetting its impact through a tree-planting program that has planted more than 62,000 trees.
Boreal Folk is a brand founded by a couple dedicated to making minimal impact with their business. They ethically source botanicals and formulate products in their mobile “wilderness lab,” and package bath and body goods in eco-friendly packaging.
💡 Tip: Similar to manufacturing food, selling makeup and skin care are subject to requirements to ensure safe production and handling. Check with local governments to be sure your facility and packaging are up to code.
There’s still plenty of room in the home and kitchen spaces for eco-friendly innovations. Some eco-friendly ideas include: biodegradable cutlery, bamboo picnicware, reusable paper towels, silicone or stainless steel straws, reusable sandwich bags, compostable paper plates, waterless laundry detergent strips, countertop composters, and upcycled furniture.
Help your customers make incremental changes to their shopping habits by selling sustainable products that don’t compromise on style and function.
Green Glass is a big name in the upcycling space, taking castoff glass bottles and transforming them into gorgeous reusable drinking glasses, like this Flora & Fauna set with etched art.
FinalStraw took an innovative approach to reusable straws by designing one that’s stainless steel and collapsible, including a carrying case with a portable cleaning brush for travel.
Flip & Tumble sells a number of eco-friendly alternatives to plastic bags, like its product bags, which you can reuse over and over. They conveniently fit into the pockets of the brand’s other products, like its collapsible tote bags.
Another approach you may wish to take when starting a sustainable business is considering if you’d like to support a cause or work with a charitable partner.
Think critter-friendly goods from brands that give back to animal rescues, donating partial proceeds of furniture sales to affordable housing projects, or selling refillable plastic bottles that support water projects like well building. The more the cause is aligned with the product you sell or your own values, the better.
💡 Tip: Setting up an official charity can be a lot of work on top of trying to run your business. If you have no experience in the non-profit sector, partner with an established and reputable charity to help put your donations to use.
WWF relies on donations, but also sells “adoptions” that include a plush toy and adoption certificate. Product sales provide another giving option for its audience to support the environmental non-profit.
Herbivorous Butcher is a vegan meat business that operates a deli, as well as a sister business—a farm sanctuary to rescue animals. Proceeds from the sale of some of the brand’s merch (like this piggy pin) support the maintenance of the sanctuary.
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Entering the fashion industry can be daunting, with so much competition from low-cost fast fashion and high-end designers. But putting an innovative eco-friendly twist on an existing product can help you carve out a niche.
Ideas for eco-friendly fashion accessories to sell include belts made from materials diverted from landfills, reusable shopping bags, socks that can be sent back for recycling, and upcycled wallets. Is there a product that doesn’t already have a sustainable option? Fill that gap in the market.
Rice Love works with ethical manufacturing partners to produce its pouches and other accessories from reclaimed rice bag burlap. And, with the purchase of each product, the brand donates a bag of rice to a family in need.
Swedish Stockings boasts emission-free production of the brand’s recycled knit hosiery. And its Recycling Club invites customers to ship back old socks in exchange for a purchase discount.
Notabag is a brand of totes and duffels that focuses on smart design and long-lasting construction. Its signature tote doubles as a backpack, targeting overconsumption (one bag does the job of two). And the brand is a member of 1% for the Planet, donating a portion of sales to Save the Children.
Dick Moby introduced sustainability to an everyday accessory: sunglasses. Its line includes both biodegradable models as well as styles made from recycled plastic.
Americans spent $29.2 billion on toys in 2023 alone—and unfortunately, much of those products will end up in a landfill. Millennial parents are pushing back against plastics, seeking eco-friendly (and kid-safe) alternatives. Appeal to this market by selling toys and crafts with product sustainability in mind.
Think safe craft supplies and plastic-free exploration kits, recycled paper notebooks, and FSC wooden ride-on toys.
EcoJot sells notebooks and other paper products that are so beautiful, you’d never know they were made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The brand also gives back to a number of charitable organizations.
A Toy Garden is a wonderland of natural and creative toys for kids. The site is a one-stop shop for everything from USA-made wooden instruments to beeswax and soy crayons to natural face paints.
Conscious Craft focuses on creative play and an appreciation for nature. Kids’ gardening tools, outdoor exploration kits, and recycled art supplies are all on offer.
Before you can successfully market your eco-friendly product, you need to understand who you’re talking to. Your audience isn’t just anyone who wants to “go green”; it’s more specific than that. Are they young professionals who care about reducing waste? Parents looking for non-toxic products for their kids? Or outdoor enthusiasts committed to protecting the environment?
Knowing your audience’s motivations, values, and lifestyle choices is key to crafting a message that resonates with them. Do your research—whether it’s through surveys, customer feedback, or social listening—to understand what drives their purchasing decisions.
Social media is a hotbed for conversations about sustainability, which makes it a great place to promote your eco-friendly products.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are great for visually showcasing your products in an appealing, authentic way. You can also share behind-the-scenes stories about how your product is made, highlight its environmental benefits, and even get creative with how-tos and tutorials.
Engagement is key on social media—don’t just post and ghost. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create posts that encourage interaction, like polls or Q&A sessions.
Use relevant hashtags like #EcoFriendly, #SustainableLiving, or ones unique to your niche to increase discoverability and make it easier for eco-conscious consumers to find you.
The #EcoFriendly hashtag on TikTok has tons of videos showing the benefits of sustainable products, how-tos, and product guides.
Crafting a compelling message goes beyond just saying, “Our product is eco-friendly.” You need to tell a story that connects with your audience on a deeper level. Focus on the benefits your product offers, not just for the planet, but for the consumer too. Is it healthier, longer-lasting, or made from innovative materials?
Be clear and honest in your messaging—today’s consumers are savvy, and they can spot greenwashing (making misleading claims about sustainability) from a mile away. Highlight specifics: Do you use 100% recycled materials? Are your products cruelty-free?
Partnering with influencers who align with your brand values can be a game-changer in getting your product in front of a wider, yet still relevant, audience. The key is to choose influencers who are genuinely passionate about sustainability—someone whose followers already trust their recommendations.
Micro-influencers, in particular, can be highly effective. They tend to have more niche audiences with higher engagement rates, and their followers are likely to share the same values. Authenticity is everything here—an influencer’s recommendation should feel like a natural fit rather than a sales pitch.
Influencer Taylor Cezanne promotes sustainable moving boxes in this TikTok video.
Certifications and eco-labels are powerful trust signals for consumers, so don’t be shy about flaunting them. Labels like Fair Trade, USDA Organic, or Energy Star show that your product meets recognized sustainability standards and can give buyers peace of mind about their purchase.
Make sure these certifications are prominently featured in your marketing—whether it’s on your website, packaging, or social media. And don’t stop at just showing the logos. Take the time to explain what each certification means and why it matters. Educating your audience builds credibility and further differentiates your product from competitors who might make vague or unsupported claims.
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The demand for sustainable products is skyrocketing, and businesses without a strong sustainability strategy are being left behind. Consumers are more eco-conscious than ever, looking for brands that align with their values. That’s where you come in. With the rise of innovation in sustainable products, there’s never been a better time to start your own eco-friendly business—and Shopify makes it easier than ever to do just that.
Whether you’re selling reusable products, ethically sourced goods, or items made from recycled materials, your brand has the power to make a positive environmental impact from day one. From the products you choose to sell, all the way through your supply chain, you can build a business that’s both profitable and planet-friendly.
Ready to get started? Shopify gives you all the tools you need to turn your sustainable vision into a thriving business.
Absolutely! You can definitely make your own eco-friendly products at home. Whether it’s creating natural skin care items, upcycling materials into new products, or crafting reusable goods like beeswax wraps, there are plenty of ways to get started with sustainable DIY projects. Plus, starting small at home is a great way to test your ideas before scaling up.
Name any product and there’s probably an eco-friendly alternative. There are plenty of eco-friendly products you can sell today through dropshipping or white labeling. Or, you can design and manufacture your own unique products.
The best eco-friendly products are those that solve environmental issues like reducing waste or eliminating single-use plastics. Think of products we use in our everyday lives. Can you find a more sustainable solution to conventional plastic bottles, toilet paper, paper towels, or coffee cups?
Consumers are increasingly showing an interest in sustainable businesses and products. While there are a number of factors that affect why a product sells better than another, an eco-friendly product will attract conscious consumers. And, as interest grows in minimizing personal impact, sustainably minded companies have a better chance at having staying power.
In many categories, like baby products and beauty, consumers are demanding them. The shift is happening across all industries, though, with clean, green products growing in popularity. Several studies show that consumers are, more and more, actively seeking out environmentally friendly products as they shop.
As the global awareness of the impact of climate change increases, many are looking to do their part to reverse or slow the damage. Incremental lifestyle changes, like buying sustainable versions of everyday products, can help people feel like they’re making responsible choices. Many also buy from sustainable brands because they believe in supporting ethical production and fair wages, or they align with a charitable brand’s cause.
The best place to sell eco-friendly products is on your own Shopify store. That way you can maintain full control over the look and feel of your brand’s online presence, and own the audience that you build. But you can also adopt a multichannel approach, choosing to sell simultaneously on marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy while growing your online store.
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