Supporting eco-friendly businesses in Chicago starts with recognizing businesses using eco-friendly practices. Companies such as the ones talked about in this article from Built In Chicago, use eco-friendly practices. Without knowing these companies are working hard to become greener, it's hard to support them.

While the first step in supporting any Chicago eco-friendly business is figuring out which businesses are green, it's also important to understand how to support these businesses. Here are three ways you can make sure you're supporting more eco-friendly businesses in Chicago.

Do your Research First

Before you start shopping for a new product or service, start with a bit of research. Most likely, there are several options for you to choose from when it comes to whatever product or service you desire. However, they won't all be eco-friendly options.

Resources, such as the Illinois Green Business Association may help you find the right eco-friendly business for your needs. IGBA offers a list of certified green businesses in your specific area. They also offer several other resources to help you support eco-friendly businesses in Chicago and throughout Illinois.

Another resource to use is called The Conscious Guide: Chicago. This guide provides a list of many businesses using green practices.

Build a List of Chicago Businesses

As you start looking at ways to support eco-friendly businesses in Chicago, you should start building your own list of businesses using green practices. From stores you go to every week for groceries to the way you get from one place to another, there are eco-friendly options. Supporting these businesses regularly will help the local economy and the environment.

Identify green businesses you can use as an alternative to the mainstream options and build a list for your own reference. As you build this list, consider other products and services you use regularly, which could be provided by an eco-friendly local business.

Be Willing to Sacrifice Convenience

If supporting eco-friendly businesses in Chicago is important to you, it may be necessary to sacrifice some convenience. The perfect eco-friendly grocery store may not be the one closest to your home. However, if the environment is important to you, a little inconvenience to support a green business in Chicago may be worth it.

While Chicago is filled with green businesses, it's also important to go beyond the local businesses. Supporting local and green is great, but when you shop online, make sure to do your research and find the right eco-friendly company online, as well.

Whether you're moving and you want to use Chicago GreenBox because they are an eco-friendly company or you just want to go out to dinner at an eco-friendly restaurant, make sure you're supporting the right business. Going green isn't as hard as it once was for companies and it should be a pre-requisite for your business if you want to support eco-friendly businesses in Chicago.

Use the resources in this article to help find the best green businesses throughout Chicago and start building your own list. A small sacrifice of a little bit of convenience may have you supporting more eco-friendly businesses and feeling like you're doing your part to save our planet.