5 Companies That Did Something Good in 2011

In a year that will be remembered for "change" globally, there are some companies that stood out.  The list of comapnies below is taken from Alternet and does not endorse that these companies are perfect or doing everything right.  

However, these are 5 companies that did make headlines with some bold moves and changes perhaps changing the way corporate America operates.

1) Ben and Jerry's have had their fair share of controversy, but have tried to be socially responsible over the years.  This year they made headlines being one of the few large corporations to support the Occupy Wall Street movement issuing a letter titled We Stand With You:

We, the Ben & Jerry's Board of Directors, compelled by our personal convictions and our Company's mission and values, wish to express our deepest admiration to all of you who have initiated the non-violent Occupy Wall Street Movement and to those around the country who have joined in solidarity. The issues raised are of fundamental importance to all of us.

Ben & Jerry's handed out ice cream to protestors and the founders were also seen scooping ice cream.

2) Patagonia made headlines with the anti-consumerism ad campaign with the tag line "Don't Buy This Jacket", which was promoting the company's Common Thread Initiative. The initiative was to promote reusing, repairing, reducing and/or recycling before purchasing.

3) H&M Clothing is not known for being a model company when it comes to corporate social responsibility and in fact last year made major negative headlines about destroying perfectly good clothes instead of donating them. However, in 2011 the company vowed to source all of its cotton from sustainable sources by 2020 and also launched the Conscious Collection that had items with organic cotton and recycled fibers.

Additionally, the company switched to multi-functional hangers to reduce waste and apparently recycled 85% of the old hangers.

4) HP is one of the few tech giants put their words in action and looking for ways to stay sustainable but also change the industry.  With HP's efforts to make sure confict minerals are not used in electronics, all tech companies producing electronic products must report in their goods contain conflict minerals.

HP did advance its agenda by participating in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance pilot program, which is focused on ensuring "responsible supply chains of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas."

5) Method made major waves with their marketing strategy this year, by focusing on getting rid of toxins from your house versus just being a "green" product.  The marketing strategy helped the company easily penetrate into large retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.  

With many laundry and cleaning companies fighting for shelf space, the environmentally friendly 2x concentrated detergents are easily found on the shelves of major retailers and grocery store chains.  However, Method has taken the game to whole new levels with 8x concentrated detergent.  While companies are fighting to sell product, Method is doing what is best for the environment and putting out a safer and more responsible product.