Backyard Entrepreneur^TM

Green Environmentalist  

Go Green

Make money as an entrepreneur working from home based on your passion to save the planet.  Recycle, compost, and test the air, water, and soil.

Since we have such a good life in the USA, we have the time to think about other economic goals other than just feeding our faces and making ends meet.  So, our government and the people can spend some thought and effort into making certain that our air is clean, our water pure, and our soil free of contaminants.  

Make Money Recycling 

There is money to be made for one who is willing to recycle.  Offer to do this for your neighbors, to begin with, and then grow your business from there.  Recycle newspapers, bottles, cans, metal, batteries, computer parts, paint, and lead.  Once you pick up the items, where do you take them?  Locate the buyers of your recycled items. 

 Make Money Testing Air, Water, and Soil

Learn how to test water, air, and soil.  There is so much indoor air pollution caused by almost everything.  Your customers will need a choice of air purifiers.  The same is true of water purifiers.  Test bottled water. How pure is that water you drink?  Test water after it has been filtered if you use a filtered water system at home.  You will test soil for lead and other pollutants.  You will test for composition because the homeowner may need to know what needs to be added to the soil for growing vegetables or a lush lawn. Soil can be revitilized with the addition of earthworms.  See our Earthworm Farmer page for more information.

Become an Environmental Consultant 

Become an expert.  Get others to join your cause.  Set up a nonprofit organization to get others to join you in your efforts.  Make speeches for a fee to support your efforts.   A small child makes a good spokesperson for this movement.

Become a consultant.  Many households would like to recycle, but just can’t get organized to do so.  It is much easier to toss the papers in the trash than to figure out how to recycle.  You can help. Set a fee to show them how or hire yourself out to haul the recyclables off for them.

Design rooms around conservation. 

 Sell  Compost

Cleaning yards is on way to help the environment, too. It is a good way to make money.  Instead of trashing all those leaves, pine cones, pine needles, and the like, compost them.  Turn it all into mulch and compost. Bag it and sell it to folks who need it. Go organic.

Sell Pine Cones

Pine cones make great fire starters -- especially with some sawdust inserted into them. They also make great peanut butter bird feeders.  Sell these at arts and crafts shows.  Put your own twist to it. Add some pizzaz. 

Sell Newspaper Fire Logs

Roll newspapers into nice size logs (no colored paper).  Tie with string or paper tape.  Soak in water so as to reduce the ashes that fly around when the log is burned.  Take log out of water, shake out excess water, and dry compeletly. Advertise your logs for sale as your efforts to save an tree and protect the environment.

© Backyard Entrepreneur^TM 2007

Links

Air Tests

Indoor Air Quality:  EPA

Radon Tests:  University of Georgia

Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality: American Lung Association

To Purchase:  Air Testing Kits

Air Quality Quality Meters:  Direct Sense

Resourse List:  Indoor Mold

Identify Each Pollutant:  University of Tennessee

Books -- Air Testing

Books -- Composting

Books -- Consulting

Decals

Environmental Science

Project Kits. Science Kits

Equipment -- Air Purification 

Equipment -- Recycling 

Equipment -- Water Purification 

Gift Ideas

Magazines 

Soil Tests

Soil Test Results.  University of Missouri

Soil Quality Test Kit Guide.  US Department of Agriculture

Soil Quality Resources.  Virginia Tech

Soil Testing: University of Massachusetts

Soil Issuses: Clearwater Landscaping

Supplies

Water Tests

Water Quality Testing. Oasis

Water Testing.  Virginia Tech

Interpreting your Water Test Report. Virginia Cooperative Extension

Ground Water and Drinking Water.  EPA