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Franchising's Green Scene Environmentally friendly franchises can mean business success--just be sure they're as green as they claim.

By Gwen Moran Edited by Frances Dodds

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

When Mike and Deborah Parisi were looking for a franchise opportunity, they had only broad parameters in mind. They wanted something unique that would be good for the community, and they wanted to feel good about the products they sold. Doing some online research, they came across Pizza Fusion, a green restaurant franchise based in Florida that uses environmentally friendly practices in everything from building designs to food prep to waste disposal.

Where to Look for Green
While evidence of more environmentally sensitive practices can be found in virtually every area of business, some are greening at a faster clip than others.
Areas of public concern
Many fast-emerging areas in green franchising deal with environmental issues that concern the public, including energy conservation and recycling. Some offer federal tax incentives or incorporate significant recycling programs for the products they sell, which brings in additional retail business.

• Pro Energy Consultants
• Solar Power Inc.
• Cartridge World USA
• Batteries Plus
Home and personal care
Wherever there is a home-care service that could be considered environmentally questionable--car washing, house cleaning, lawn care--there seems to be a greener solution, like house cleaning services that use nontoxic cleaning solutions and better waste disposal practices.

• The Cleaning Authority
• Maid Brigade
• Clean Air Lawn Care
• Ecowash Mobile
• Splish Salon
Food service
Environmentally friendly eateries and other businesses in the category range from those built entirely around being sustainable to those that perform a specific green function, like helping restaurants filter used cooking oil for reuse.

• Pizza Fusion
• Spoon Me
• Filta

"It was the product that really spoke to us. It is the closest thing I've tried on the West Coast that tastes like the food you can get in Italy," says Mike. "The green aspect showed us that the company was forward-thinking by taking America's favorite food and modernizing it."

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