Entrepreneurs and consumers alike are moving towards more eco-friendly practices and reducing their impact on the world, but this can take a lot of change that many are not ready for. There are some things you can do to grow your green initiatives and to support businesses and individuals around in creating their own. By getting involved in your local community by promoting green companies and programs, you can reduce your impact while encouraging others to do the same.

Get Involved

The first step in making the world a healthier place for everyone is to get involved. You can join local environmental cleanup efforts and activist groups, frequent local markets, and research how to start a brand ambassador program for your company. For many eco-friendly companies, getting the word out about their sustainability and waste-reduction initiatives is the hardest part of growing the business. These programs are designed to promote the brand to family and friends as well as to followers online, but they also have goals, education and incentives to help you get the job done.

Start Local

Whether you are an entrepreneur or a consumer, the best place to start with your eco-friendly goals is close to home. This means looking for local sources of the supplies you need to reduce your carbon footprint and to give neighboring companies a boost. A restaurant owner, for example, can visit the local farmer’s market or contact growers directly for produce instead of shopping at national chains. You can shop at those same markets for your family’s grocery needs and keep your money circulating in the community.

Embrace the Unique

New products and techniques are being developed all the time to reduce the environmental impact of daily life, and these innovations can be as unique as the individuals making them. For instance, it is not unusual to find a beekeeper selling honey at a farmer’s market, but the green-minded entrepreneur can stock his or her honey stall with beeswax products, like cloth wraps, to replace plastic at home or sell kits for customers to make their own reusable wraps. By supporting these unique and green products, you can incentivize businesses around you to find ways of integrating eco-friendly practices and materials.

Ask About Green Initiatives

It is important to ask the companies you do business with, whether you are sourcing materials for your company or for your home, what their green initiatives are. These can include their own sourcing and efforts to make supply chains greener as well as using renewable energy or cutting back on energy used in their buildings. Many businesses will join green initiatives started by local charities to invest in the community, reduce environmental impact and help the less fortunate. Even if a company does not currently have eco-friendly plans and practices, asking about them will let the business know that there is local interest in supporting green companies.

Think About Waste

A lot of waste goes into making, packaging and selling consumer goods, many of which end up in landfills themselves. By thinking about the types of things your company or household throws away, you can reduce your environmental impact and maybe even innovate a marketable solution. For instance, take-out food containers are not usually recyclable either because of the materials they are made from or the fact that they are covered in food residue, so companies are starting to use biodegradable food packaging which can be composted at home or break down easily in the landfill.

One of the best ways to grow and support eco-friendly businesses is to buy their goods and services, but they can be difficult to find. You can ask companies about their green initiatives, become a brand ambassador for your favorites, or even start an eco-friendly business to fill a local gap in materials, goods or services.