Green Is the New Gold

I thought I had heard it all when I read some time last year that Wal-Mart was "going green." The mammoth retailer announced it would begin selling organic products as well as working to find ways to reduce waste and cut its greenhouse gas emissions. "Whatever," I thought to myself. "Just another desperate attempt at some good PR." (Those of us around the halls of MyBusiness delight in being anti-Wal-Mart.)

But then I noticed that Wal-Mart wasn't the only one in corporate America clamoring to be known as environmentally friendly. Over the past few years, "green" has taken on a new meaning in some businesses. NPR's Marketplace interviewed Yale professor Daniel Etsy earlier this week about how some smart companies (including Wal-Mart) have realized that tree-hugging can be good for the environment and their bottom lines.

So how are small businesses fitting into this trend? Has your business--or one you know--adopted new practices that will sustain Mother Earth? If so, we want to hear from you. E-mail us at feedback@mybusinessmag.com.