When it comes to going green at home, we all know the suggested changes can save us some green: switching to CFL lightbulbs and turning those bad boys off when you’re not in a room, trading your solo morning commute for a city bus or bike ride, line drying clothes, installing solar panels … the list goes on.

However, urban sprawl often makes alternative commuting options impossible or time prohibitive. The sheer busyness of life makes slowing down and line drying laundry a stress rather than a sustainable choice. Solar panels sound great but the options and power grid compliance options are confusing.

We’d never steer you away from any of those options – they’re great choices to make when you can! But in the mean time, here are some major brands that have significant sustainability programs in place. Buying from these brands lets you support their initiatives and give back to Mama Earth in your own way!

Finally, an excuse to consume more chocolate! Mars participates in the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative, aimed at securing responsible, sustainable cocoa supply chains while minimizing environmental impact. In 2009, Mars committed to buying 100 percent certified sustainable cocoa by 2020.

PepsiCo recognized environmental sustainability as a core component of sustainability at the start of the new millennium and began putting in place the systems, processes and metrics needed to drive continuous improvement in energy and water conservation as well as packaging and waste reduction.

Their 2013 sustainability report sums it up best: At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.

The battle of the soda brands is present in sustainability initiatives as well: Coca-Cola shares the following infographic about their environmental goals, supporting their desire to contribute to a happier, healthier world.

Levi Strauss & Co. puts some of the onus of sustainability back on their consumers, stating “On average, almost 50 percent of the climate impact (generated by carbon dioxide emissions) of a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans comes from how consumers wear and wash the product.” Despite what you do with your 501s, Levi’s is committed to reducing energy and material use throughout their operations and supply chain, as well as providing education to customers on how they can reduce their footprint, as well.

Many of the Fortune 100 are specifically making big commitments to renewable energy sources. Here are just a few:

• Wal-Mart has set a long-term goal to fuel its operations 100 percent by renewable energy. Although they’ve made this commitment, they have not yet set a target completion date. Understandable, since they have over 180 renewable energy projects currently in play! Wal-Mart is currently the largest, on-site green power generator in the country.

• Whole Foods Market in Gowanus, Brooklyn has earned a reputation as a “store of the future” because of multiple efficiency and sustainability initiatives. The rest of the company is following suit, setting  aggressive targets for energy use reduction and on-site generation.
• In addition to launching a CO2 project capital relief fund to put capital toward renewable energy project investments, Johnson & Johnson has set a goal to power at least 50 MW of renewable energy by 2015.