Walmart
Consistently working toward sustainability, Walmart has spearheaded a number of inspiring initiatives. These include selling reusable bags for a dollar or less, working with vendors to reduce packaging, integrating more sustainable materials into their products and making a commitment to using solar and wind power in all of their stores.
Photo: Walmart
Chipotle
“Food With Integrity” is Chipotle’s motto. Working locally to source their often-organic ingredients, Chipotle looks for naturally raised meats and small family farms, wrapping up their environmental promise into one tasty burrito.
Photo: Flickr/Mr. T in DC
Patagonia
The retail giant is equally dedicated to sending you out into the world equipped to handle anything that comes your way as it is to protecting the natural environment that you are exploring. Patagonia features an organic clothing line, a recycling program that transforms used Patagonia items into fresh gear, and The Footprint Chronicles, a tool that tracks the environmental impact of the products the company manufactures.
Photo: Flickr/mtneer_man
American Apparel
Stretchy ’80s-inspired garb and eco-awareness? You can have both at American Apparel, where customers can find organic cotton styles and take comfort in the fact that their purchases were manufactured in an L.A.-based factory outfitted with solar panels and energy-saving light fixtures. The company also donates and recycles excess materials and helps to break their employees’ reliance on cars with subsidized bus passes and bikes for lend.
Photo: American Apparel
Starbucks
Starbucks is about more than a tasty cup of joe. To brew a better cup, the coffee giant uses as much fairly traded coffee as possible, plus the company has opened a LEED-certified -- proof that a building is environmentally responsible -- plant and uses hormone-free milk.
Photo: Starbucks