But when Chouinard counseled Walmart on sustainability, the retail behemoth found it actually saved money through environmental initiatives, like reducing its packaging and water consumption.

WSJ: Patagonia's Founder is America's Most Unlikely Business Guru

Many of these businesses stress packaging reduction, water or air conservation, and community development strategies.

FORBES: Does Your Company Have Promise?

Cancer-causing chemicals were suddenly said to be everywhere: in water, in food, in packaging.

ECONOMIST: Plenty of gloom

Cargill's NatureWorks division deploys bacteria to turn corn into a biodegradable plastic for water bottles, clothing and food packaging.

FORBES: Revving Up Nature's Engines

So we're packaging a container with about 250, 000 meals, and then we'll also be packaging 1, 000 water filters in that, so there'll be about 1, 350 filters altogether in these two camps.

CNN: Former bartender turns wine into water

The new soft drink-like packaging helped fast-track bottled water's growth past milk and beer.

WSJ: America's new love: Water

This Ohio company, founded as a wooden barrel maker, makes steel drums, corrugated boxes, water bottles, rain barrels and basically every type of packaging you could think of.

FORBES: Connect