New Green Businesses

John Barobs
Blue Sky Guide

As the green movement flourishes, so does the green retail sector. Stop by to visit some of the new green businesses throughout the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota to find some new, hip and green goods, carbon saving devices for your home, new modes of transport, and tasty treats!

Twin Cities Green and Sunny Day Earth Solutions. These new green stores offer a wide array of recycled, reclaimed, and earth-friendly products for home, play, and a green lifestyle: wallets and bags made from recycled inner tubes, solar powered electronics, green cleaning products, and low VOC paints, just to name a few. While both stores carry a similar cross-section of green basics, each specializes in their own niche.

Sunny Day Earth Solutions, 1000 26th Ave SE, Minneapolis
612-455-1355
sunnydayearthsolutions.com

Twin Cities Green
2405 Hennepin Ave. S, Minneapolis
612-374-4581
twincitiesgreen.com

Zenn Motor Co. / Cushman Motor Co.  The Zenn is a “zero emission, no noise,” street legal (up to 25 mph) Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The ZENN recharges by plugging into any electrical outlet for a four-hour charge, costing just pennies per mile to operate. While economical, the ZENN offers the comforts one expects for a typical sub-compact car. This product from Canada can take on a Minnesota winter.

Cushman Motor Co. is the local dealership, 2909 Franklin Ave. E, Minneapolis
612-333-3487
zenncars.com and cushmanmotorco.com

freEner-g. A one-of-a-kind solar electricity leasing company. freEner-g designs solar systems for local homes or small business, and then installs and maintains the system for the duration of the lease. Homeowners avoid the significant up-front cost of owning and maintaining a photovoltaic system while enjoying emission-free electricity.

freEner-g, 2740 S 31st Ave., Minneapolis
612-605-5228, freener-g.com

Sweet Cheeks Baby Food. A healthy diet is one of the keys to a happy, healthy baby. Sweet Cheeks Baby Foods uses organic fruits and vegetables and Minnesota-grown organic grains for foods that cover all stages of a baby’s development. Raw ingredients are sourced directly from local organic farmers. Batches are made weekly for freshness and frozen in individual servings for convenience.

Find Sweet Cheeks Baby Food at the St. Paul Farmers Market year-round
sweetcheeksbabyfood.com

Freewheel Midtown Bike Center. The Freewheel Midtown Bike Center is located on the Midtown Greenway and provides a full service bike transportation station. The station includes bike lockers, rentals, repair shop, classes, bicycle sales, showers, cafe, and community center. Freewheel Midtown Bike Center also offers the Commuter Club, where members use the bike center as a transit hub to park their vehicles, store their bikes, and finish their commute to work via bicycle.

Freewheel Midtown Bike Center,
2834 S 10th Ave., Minneapolis
612-238-4447
freewheelbikecenter.com

ecoEnvelopes. More than 80 billion reply envelopes are mailed annually in the US-most of them ending up in landfills. Coordinating with the US Postal Service, ecoEnvelopes patented an envelope that zips closed, eliminating the need for a separate reply envelope. ecoEnvelopes are manufactured with paper from managed forests and contain up to 100 percent post-consumer waste content. ecoEnvelopes can be re-mailed many times over-ideal for consumers and businesses alike.

ecoEnvelopes, 212 N 3rd Ave., Suite 354
Minneapolis
612-605-4885
ecoenvelopes.com

Blue River and Verde Strategies. Catching the wave on the rain barrel revival, Blue River and Verde Strategies are two companies that offer the urban gardener nice options to collect water, reduce erosion, and save money on the utility bill. Verde Strategies offers reused barrels from multiple sources while Blue River has options ranging from the original wooden whiskey barrels to modern recycled plastic tubs. All you need to provide is a roof!

Blue River, St. Paul
651-238-5332
bluerivermn.com

Verde Strategies
2216 Snelling Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
verdestrategies.com

Be’Wiched Sandwiches and Deli. Nothing beats a good sandwich, and Be’Wiched takes good to a whole new level. This chef-driven deli offers sandwiches and other deli favorites, emphasizing fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients. The divine made-from-scratch deli embraces the philosophy that “a gourmet meal [can come] between two slices of bread.”

Be’Wiched Sandwiches and Deli,
800 Washington Ave. N, Minneapolis
612-767-4330
BewichedDeli.com

New Green Businesses

Our Sponsors