The 5 Greenest Companies in America

There's no doubt that going green has never been cooler. With an increased focus on green energy during this election season, there is a renewed push to create businesses that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. However, adopting greener policies at the office isn't just good for the environment. According to a new report from Mother Nature Network, employees at eco-friendly companies are actually more productive and have happier employees.

Going green is big business and once again this year, Newsweek looked at the largest American companies and compared their environmental footprint and corporate management strategies in order to determine the most eco-friendly. Here's a look at the top 5 greenest companies in America.

IBM - IBM has made a strong push toward adopting more sustainable business practices. It has introduced "Smarter Planet" products, which help clients measure and reduce their resource consumption. In addition, at its lab in Zurich, IBM uses water to cool a supercomputer and then reuses the hot water to warm its other nearby buildings.

Hewlett-Packard - This company has been able to lower its emissions by more than half in little over a decade. In addition, it has taken a stand on environmental policies and even refused to do business with paper companies who have been linked to deforestation and illegal logging. Hewlett-Packard is continuing to push its suppliers to adopt better environmental policies and look for ways to do better themselves.

Sprint Nextel - Sprint Nextel was the first cell phone provider to move toward recycling phones. It has made a point to collect and reuse old phones and even gives its customers credit for turning in their old phones. The company is working hard to reach a goal of recycling 9 out of every 10 phones it sells.

Dell - This computer company is going above and beyond to lower its environmental footprint. It creates almost zero waste by reusing or recycling 98 percent of its non-hazardous waste. With Dell's environmentally friendly packaging, it is taking a step forward by using bamboo instead of cardboard.

CA Technologies - This tech company has embraced telecommuting by allowing 30 percent of its workforce to work from home. This policy change reduces the amount of pollution caused by commuting and having to sustain a larger office. Its has also made a commitment to buy 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015.

Currently, this list contains a majority of technology companies, however companies from all ends of the spectrum can adopt more environmentally friendly policies. Take a look around your office to find ways that you can work a little greener.

What do you think about this list? Does your company have good environmental policies? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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