Sometimes a good idea can go a long way. At S.C. Johnson, company scientists have devised what they call the Greenlist, a system that classifies more than 95% of raw materials used in its products based on the material's impact on the environment and human health. Each product must earn an acceptable rating before hitting the market, which makes this system a powerful tool for reducing harmful compounds while promoting healthy, effective alternatives.

The firm has already used Greenlist ratings to remove 1.8 million pounds of volatile organic compounds from Windex and now promotes a cleaner universe by offering the system royalty-free to other companies, including its competitors (as long as they sign an agreement to annually measure their environmental progress). But it's not the first time S.C. Johnson has taken such a huge step: From 2000 to 2005, it slashed greenhouse gases at its seven largest factories by 42%—thanks in part to the use of renewable landfill gas at its 2.2-million-square-foot Waxdale, WI, production facility.

A charter member of the EPA's Climate Leaders program, S.C. Johnson has eliminated chlorine in external packaging and uses shipping containers composed of 95% recycled corrugate. It keeps an eye out for the younger generation, too: The 10,000-square-foot addition to its child-care center at headquarters has received a LEED certification for its eco-friendliness.