10 ways to make money by going green Green money-making ideas

Exchange green loyalty card points for money-off vouchers

Going green doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, you can make money when you take advantage of these environmentally friendly schemes – helping you to combat climate change and benefit your bank balance.

1. Green shopping initiatives

Collect loyalty card points or take advantage of incentives by carrying out a green activity – to convert into money-off vouchers, days out, flights and holidays.

Tesco Clubcard

Tesco offers one green Clubcard point for every bag you reuse in stores; a point for every 10 items you buy online with the bagless delivery option; or a point for every two aluminium cans you recycle at one of its automatic recycling centres. 

Plus you'll also earn 200 green Clubcard points when you recycle a working mobile phone (on top of your Tesco gift card), or 100 points for recycling used printer cartridges.

Nectar card

Sainsbury's will give you one green Nectar card point for every bag you reuse in stores.

Boots Advantage card

Boots offers Advantage card points when you recycle a mobile phone, digital camera, MP3 player or sat nav and up to 100 points for selected inkjet cartridges.

M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange

Marks & Spencer (M&S) offers a £5 gift voucher to spend in store (when you spend £35) when you donate unwanted M&S clothes to your local Oxfam in the M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange – great if you're a regular M&S shopper, and it helps to reduce the estimated one million tonnes of clothes that go to landfill each year.

The scheme also covers soft furnishings – including bed linen, towels, cushions, curtains and throws.

Consider a 'green' cashback scheme - but shop around first

2. 'Scrappage' schemes

Following the now-ended government car and boiler scrappage schemes, trade-in or 'scrappage' schemes offered by companies seem to be increasingly cropping up. We've listed a few to consider if you're in the market for one of these products.

• You can get up to £150 off selected Sony Bravia TVs in exchange for your old television, which will be responsibly disposed of.
• Energy giant Npower is continuing to offer its £400 boiler scrappage discount when you replace an old G-rated boiler for a new energy efficient one.

You should always shop around first to make sure you're getting the most competitive deal, though, even after factoring in the incentive. If you find a better deal elsewhere, find out how to recycle the item yourself.

3. Apply for an energy grant

This idea won't directly 'earn' you money – but if you're considering installing energy efficient measures in your home, don't miss out on extra funding that may be available to you.

Feed-in tariffs pay households for the energy they generate

There are several energy grant schemes available, depending on your circumstances, that could help you to achieve long term financial savings on your heating and energy costs through projects such as cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and heating controls.

Find out more in our energy grants guide. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) also lists grants and offers currently available from the government, local authorities and energy suppliers. 

4. Generate your own energy

If you have installed or are thinking about installing a renewable technology such as solar panels at home, you may also be able to make money by selling some of the green electricity you generate through feed-in tariffs. 

The feed-in tariff scheme means households with renewable technologies will receive cash payments for every unit of energy they produce themselves, rather than by using conventional fuels such as gas and mains electricity. 

You will need to weigh up the potential to save and make money through your microgeneration system against the initial outlay for equipment and installation, which can run to thousands of pounds.

You should also think about the suitability of the technology for your property and geographical location.

Green money-making: grow your own

5. Grow your own, sell your own

Growing your own fruit, vegetables or herbs is more popular than ever – according to the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, there are 60 people on waiting lists for every 100 established allotment plots, compared with 50 in 2009 and four in 1997.

Growing your own food helps you to reduce carbon emissions through cutting your individual food mile count, and it can also be a good money-making opportunity if you've got excessive produce to sell.

The biggest challenge, after successfully growing your produce, of course, is finding a suitable place to sell it. You could consider:

• Setting up a stall in your front garden
• Selling at a sale organised by your local allotment association
• Having a stall at a local fête or school event
• Contacting local farmers to see if they would buy your produce to sell in their farm shop