15 Hot Eco-Friendly Product Ideas to Sell Online

13 min read

Being environmentally conscious is no longer exclusively an ecologists’ thing. Research shows that 74% of the US population are concerned about the environment.

Though fewer people say they try to “go green” all the time, many of us make an effort to minimize our ecological footprint at least somewhat. More people are interested in making more eco-friendly decisions, which often means buying reusable things, items made of recycled materials, or products containing natural ingredients.

Though you won’t surprise anyone with tote bags and reusable coffee cups anymore, that in no way means you shouldn’t sell them. However, we suggest checking out some trending eco-friendly products that can replace things we use on a daily basis — things everyone needs and wants to buy.

If you’ve spotted more eco-friendly product ideas, don’t hesitate to contribute them in the comments section.

How to Choose Eco-Friendly Products

Before you add new items to your store, you need to understand what makes products eco-friendly:

They are reusable and biodegradable (or recyclable)
They are made from natural or recycled materials.

You can buy eco-friendly products from suppliers, local manufacturers, or make them yourself. The last two options are preferable, as many environmentally conscious consumers try to reduce their carbon footprint.

Don’t forget about ethics. If you plan to sell cosmetics or household cleaners, choose products that weren’t tested on animals. If you want to sell clothes, aim for sustainable fashion.

Pay attention to packaging: eco-conscious customers won’t be happy about tons of non-recyclable plastic wrapping. Use packaging they can recycle or compost: paper, cardboard, dried plants, or materials made from biodegradable polymers.

Eco-Friendly Product Ideas to Sell Online

Eco-friendly products can replace less sustainable items we use on a daily basis. Check out our list of products that you can offer to eco-conscious customers.

Product Idea #1: Reusable Eye Patches, Makeup Remover Pads, Swabs

It takes 10,000 liters of water to produce just one kilogram of cotton. Moreover, cotton pads aren’t biodegradable, so using them isn’t an eco-friendly option. Luckily, there are sustainable alternatives such as pads made of muslin, bamboo, or flannel. They often come in sets with a mesh laundry bag.

Reusable bamboo facial pads from Weigh “n Pay

Disposable eye patches are also not biodegradable, so more consumers switch to reusable eye patches. They are usually stored in a fridge in special cases.

If you sell beauty products, reusable patches can be a great addition to your store. Sell them individually or as a part of skin care sets.

Single-use cotton q-tips can be replaced with reusable swabs made from medical-grade silicone. They are great for makeup application and cleaning, but doctors don’t recommend using them in the ear canal, only the outside of the ear. (This is also the same for disposable q-tips.)

Product Idea #2: Beeswax Wrap

Plastic wrap is everywhere: we cover food with it or use it to wrap sandwiches, cheese, meat, you name it. Beeswax wrap does the same, but without hurting the environment, and it’s also reusable. Great alternative for an item people use every day in their kitchens.

The Beeswax Wrap Co. sells wraps with different prints

Product Idea #3: Natural Natural Cleaning Products and Cosmetics

Products people use around the house contain a lot of environmentally harmful chemicals. Even if your customers aren’t ecologists, they still care about their health, and cleaners made of natural ingredients work for them too. Less collateral damage means more satisfied customers, so this product idea is definitely worth your attention.

If you want to make a natural cleaner yourself, you can find various recipes online. For example, this one looks quite simple.

Eco-friendly and cruelty-free beauty products also rise in popularity. 52% of consumers worldwide claim that green features such as vegan ingredients are important for cosmetics selection decisions.

You can make natural cosmetics yourself or set up an online store to resell eco-friendly products of other brands.

Product Idea #4: Eco-Friendly Glitter

Fine, maybe glitter isn’t the thing people use on a daily basis (why not though?), but everyone wants to feel pretty from time to time or indulge in sparkling stuff on festivals and parties. Moreover, it doesn’t seem to be getting out of fashion any time soon. Regular glitter harms the oceans with its plastic particles, but biodegradable, cruelty-free and vegan glitter lets people shine guilt-free.

@ecostardust sells glitter that looks like regular one, but makes a difference in terms of the environment

Product Idea #5: Tote bags

This inexpensive product comes in handy when you go shopping, so it’s not surprising tote bags are replacing plastic bags.

You can offer your customers tote bags made from recycled plastic and eco-friendly materials. Complement grocery bags with a small pouch for easier storage, or add a print or embroidery to totes to highlight your brand.

You can make tote bags yourself and use scraps to make hair accessories or toys to make sure your production is waste-free.

Or, use a print-on-demand service Printful to sell tote bags with custom design — they provide eco-friendly options too.

With Printful, you can customize products made from organic or recycled materials and sell them in your store

Product Idea #6: Reusable Produce Bags

Reusable produce bags help reduce waste and replace plastic bags when shopping for vegetables, fruits, or bulk foods (nuts, seeds, grains, and cereals.) They are durable, lightweight, and can be carried in a bag.

Sell sets of reusable produce bags of different sizes to make shopping more convenient for your customers.

Product Idea #7: Biodegradable Cleaning Sponges

Kitchen sponges can be breeding grounds for bacteria, so you need to replace them often. Sponges and scrubbing pads made of foam plastic aren’t biodegradable and end up in landfills.

Here are some eco-friendly alternatives: sponges made of loofah, coconut fibers, bamboo, plant-cellulose, jute, sisal. They don’t harm the environment if disposed of properly.

Soap saver bag made from natural sisal from the SÓLIDO store

Product Idea #8: Reusable containers for food and drinks

Reusable bottles, travel mugs, lunch boxes, collapsible coffee cups became common but are still in demand. They replace disposable bottles, cups, and food containers.

Another good thing about these eco-friendly alternatives is that their different sizes and materials allow you to create a greater variety of products in your store. Don’t forget about complement products such as reusable food covers or lunch wraps.

Reusable silicone food covers replace single-use plastic wrap to seal dishes and bowls (Source: Weigh ‘n Pay)

Product Idea #9: Steel Straws

Plastic straws aren’t recyclable, and they are harmful for marine life. Stainless steel straws are a great alternative to them. On top of that, they have other nice perks. Cool metal makes cold drinks even more refreshing and gives you a fancy look even if you’re drinking juice while working at your desk. Customers may be interested in a whole set of them, and don’t forget to provide a small cleaning brush.

Steel straws also come in different width and length (Image: amazon.com)

Product Idea #10: Rechargeable Batteries

Batteries contain different chemicals and some of them are toxic and pollute soil and water. Rechargeable ones save space and money and help to minimize that harmful effect. If you sell electronics or any other things that work on batteries (like toys), you should definitely try to add this trending product to your store.

Product Idea #11: Safety Razors

2 billion razors are thrown away each year. To minimize that number, some suggest turning to more traditional variants like steel safety razors. That way, only the blade itself is swapped out, as opposed to cartridges and disposable plastic razors. Moreover, this hot product might catch the attention of retro-loving people — let’s face it, those chic old-school razors have something.

Safety razors may look not only retro, but chic too (Image: ouishave.com)

Product Idea #12: Mineral Sunscreen

Don’t mistake sunscreen for a summer-only trending product, because dermatologists say we should protect our skin from UV-rays every day. That’s why people should have it in their regular cosmetics bag. However, chemicals in sunscreen are dangerous for corals and ecosystems. If you sell cosmetics, add mineral sunscreen to your store: it is as effective as chemical sunscreen, but kinder to marine life.

Product Idea #13: Eco-Friendly Toothbrushes

You probably remember that it’s best to change toothbrushes every three months, which means more non-recyclable waste. You can actually sell better products: there are toothbrushes made of wood, bamboo, or biodegradable materials. It’s great to care about the environment while caring about your health, isn’t it?

Bamboo toothbrushes don’t cost much and make a great option for a business on a budget

Product Idea #14: Eco-Friendly Phone Cases

Phone cases have been a trending product for a while as almost everyone owns a smartphone these days, and they want to keep it safe.

Well, now is the time to upgrade this product idea. Give your customers a chance to leave a positive impact on the environment — sell cases made of upcycled, biodegradable, or compostable materials. Put on notice wooden cases, they look and feel nice, while giving a good protection from scratches.

Not only does @pelacase sell eco-friendly cases, they also add thank-you notes to orders

Product Idea #15: Eco-Friendly Diapers

Disposable diapers often end up in landfills, where they emit methane, a greenhouse gas. What’s more, they take about 500 years to decompose, and they do not degrade well in landfills. If your targeted audience includes parents, offer them cloth diapers — they are more cost-effective — or hybrids, diapers made primarily from biodegradable and compostable materials.

Launch Your Eco-Friendly Store

Hopefully, this list of product ideas inspired you to do your bit for the planet. Ready to launch your eco-friendly store? With Ecwid E-commerce, you can do that in less than an hour:

Set up an e-commerce website
Add an online store to your existing website
Start selling on Facebook and Instagram.

Please, share your experiences in the comments: do you sell eco-friendly products? If you do, which items are more popular based on your observations? Maybe you have some advice for those who would like to get involved? Let us know!

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Product Ideas

May 20, 2021

About the author

Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at Ecwid. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs’ daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.