1. Consumer giants awaken to green — big push by consumer package good companies to make bold sustainability commitments

2. Companies aim for “zero” — growth of zero-waste goals and achievements by big companies

3. The developing world yanks the supply chain — key issues like “conflict minerals” and sustainable palm oil rattling supply chains

4. Greener transport gains speed — new green technologies coming to market — not just electric vehicles and plug-in cars, but also trucks, trains, and planes

5. Sustainable food sourcing becomes palatable — more commitments by big companies, led by Walmart

6. Metrics and standards become the rule — a surge of interest on sustainability standards and on standardizing metrics for assessing companies

7. Greener chemistry comes out of the lab — combination of toxics headlines around the world and surge of new products from Big Chemical makes this a mainstream market

8. Companies learn to close the loop — the growth of new products made from recycled materials

9. Water footprinting makes a splash — the growth of methodologies and technologies for understanding the footprint of a product, facility, or company

10. Bioplastics become material — a steady flow of new materials emerges, made of corn to coconut to cashews

Download GreenBiz's 2011 State of Green Business Report.