Start-up Ideas for Environmentally Friendly Businesses in Canada
If you want to start a green business in Canada, there are certain things to do – think of a profitable idea, inquire about any permits and licenses, write a business plan, and apply for financing.
Green Business Ideas
Green business ideas fall in different categories, including food and dining, cleaning, children's services, travel and lodging, sports and recreation, and so on. One idea for an environmentally friendly business is to recycle and sell glass products, paper bags, or plastic bottles. This is a great way to minimize waste and make a profit at the same time. Alternatively, you can start an e-waste service to pick up TVs, mobile phones, computers, laptops, and other electronic devices. In fact, a recent survey shows that more than half of Canadians have electronic waste they'd gladly get rid of. Another idea is to start a green cleaning business and offer professional services to business, commercial, and residential customers. Use eco-friendly detergents and solutions that are safe for customers and the environment. Other ideas include seaweed farming, green food business, composting yard waste and food scraps, eco-friendly event planning, and many more.
A Business Plan
Writing a good business plan is the key to securing an affordable loan, whether applying with your local bank or under the Canada Small Business Financing Program. A detailed plan covers sections on product development and design, product distribution, promotion, and price and marketing strategy. Make sure you include a section on your market analysis, including competitors' analysis, buyer behavior and patterns, and target market selection and market segmentation. It is a good idea to have a section that describes your company structure, with subsections on your board of directors and management team. Finally, you may want to offer industry analysis, including details such as key factors of success, nature of participants, industry structure, sales projections, growth rate, and industry size.
A section on your financial projections includes things like sources and uses of funds statement, income statements, and assumption sheet. If you'd like to, you can include your operations plan as well, with details such as equipment and facilities, business location, general approach, and more.
Sources of Financing
Caisses populaires, banks, credit unions, and finance companies offer different financing options, including mortgages, start-up and business loans, business lines of credit, and so on. Canadian banks advertise business loans to help pay major expenses and lines of credit to cover operating expenses. Commercial and business loans come with flexible schedules and payment options. Small business lines of credit offer plenty of benefits such as easy access to cash at any time and a no-fee, one-time application. Banks also offer homeowner lines of credit with an interest-only payment option. Some financial institutions also feature U.S. dollar and operating lines of credit. Business credit cards are also offered by different finance providers and go with add-ons such as free additional cards, rewards points, competitive interest rates, long grace periods, etc. A business credit card is good to have to pay day-to-day expenses. Financing under the Canada Small Business Financing Program is an option to consider in light of the fact that borrowers benefit from low-cost funding. Reports show that government financing has a positive impact on R&D investment, labor productivity, profitability, employment, and revenue growth. Businesses with a revenue of up to $10 million meet the criteria, including start-ups and existing small businesses. Borrowers are free to apply with a financial institution of their choice, including the Bank of Montreal, TD Canada Trust, Coastal Financial Credit Union, New Ross Credit Union, and more.
Environmentally Friendly Water Bottles
Environmentally friendly water bottles are reusable and help users go green and minimize waste and harm to the environment.
Top Producers and Products Offered
Manufacturers in Canada offer insulated, glass, and stainless steel water bottles. Top brands and manufacturers include names such as Nalgene, PureHydration, Klean Kanteen, Contigo, and more. Klean Kanteen, for example, features a selection of products, including food canisters, tumblers, cups, and insulated bottles. The company uses environmentally friendly materials to produce leak-proof products with superb thermal performance and good vacuum insulation. Contigo is a Canadian manufacturer of kids water bottles, water bottles, travel thermal mugs, and accessories. All products are environmentally friendly, dishwasher safe, and BPA free. PureHydration offers personal water purification systems for places where water is of low quality and unsafe to drink. Purification systems minimize harmful chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and microbiological hazards in drinking water. The mechanically advanced disinfection technology used by PureHydration eliminates dirt, pathogens, viruses, and bacteria. Their personal purification system also helps reduce fluoride, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic in water. What is more, the purification system eliminates hazardous contaminants such as vinyl chloride, toluene, benzene, PCBs, Aldrin, and others. All water bottles are safe, eco conscious, and economical. They are lightweight, compact, and easy to use. Nalgene also produces and offers water bottles that are green and resist odor absorption and stains. The company also features innovative hydration systems that help eliminate bacteria and other contaminants that are harmful to humans.
Pros and Cons of Plastic and Reusable Bottles
Stainless Steel and Aluminum
Both plastic and reusable bottles have pros and cons. Reusable bottles heat up in summer and may have metallic taste.
On the other hand, they are light and durable and come in different shapes and colors. Eco-friendly bottles are free of plastic toxins as well. There are many benefits to using green1 water bottles, and one is that customers help reduce plastic waste. Another benefit is that reusable bottles minimize harmful toxins in water, including BPA. Finally, reusable bottles save money, and studies show that savings amount to up to $1,000 per year.
What is more, stainless steel is not-reactive, has hygienic properties, and is resistant to corrosion. Stainless steel is used by manufacturers because it is easy to fabricate, machine, form, weld, and cut. Some manufacturers offer aluminum bottles that are lightweight and convenient to use. The downside is that aluminum is more difficult to maintain and clean, dents easily, and may contain BPA.
Plastics
Plastic bottles may contain toxins and BPA. Some manufacturers still use bisphenol A or BPA which is linked to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Bisphenol A is also associated with endocrine system problems as well as obesity, fetal brain development problems, prostate cancer, and endocrine cancer. Some manufacturers, including Nalgene and CamelBak implemented new production technologies and techniques to ensure that products are free from toxic chemicals.
There are other harmful substances such as styrene and phthalates which add flexibility to plastics. Different studies show that phthalates increase the risk for developing ADHD and asthma in children.
Plastic bottles are not safe to use for hot liquids and in microwaves. On the good side, they don't have metallic taste, are easy to clean, and are cheap. They also come in different shapes, colors, and sizes.
Recycling and Benefits for the Environment
Recycling plastics offers many benefits as well, for example, environmental protection and lower costs to create new products and materials. Recycling also results in energy conservation and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, recycling helps conserve natural resources used to create new products.