It's a strange fact that products used to explore and connect with nature can also cause heavy harm for the environment. But thanks to a series of challenges put out by Backpacker magazine, a large chunk of outdoors companies have taken serious looks at how to make less-impactful backpacks, sleeping bags and, most recently, boots.

As the magazine winds up its latest Zero Impact Challenge, we take a look at the work involved in cleaning up backpacking gear and the successes that have happened. In the case of backpacks and sleeping bags, smaller carbon footprints were made possible mostly because of using less or lighter material, a strategy that is being employed by company after company.

In the last couple weeks we've seen Kraft brands in the U.S. and U.K. introduce significantly lighter coffee packaging, Ford expand its use of biobased materials to make lighter car parts, and Amazon (yes, them again) create its own private label with products packaged only in its light, simple Frustration-Free Packaging.

With so many savings being made (both in terms of financial costs and environmental impacts), we expect to see a whole lot more of less.

This detailed FAQ explores the first phase in the Sustainability Index project launched in July 2009 by Walmart; it collects and examines the 15 questions that the company has begun asking of all its suppliers to measure and improve their environmental impact.

This paper proposes that ecological accounting through the use of analytical tools—such as Life Cycle Assessment—and standard practices that measure environmental impact is an element of good product engineering and design.

How can companies ensure that their messages comply with legal requirements, customer expectations, and effective marketing strategies? Join a conversation among a panel of experts moderated by GreenBiz.com executive editor Joel Makower, including Stephen Wenc, president of UL Environment, and Suzanne Shelton, president of the Shelton Group, and Brooks Beard, a partner at Morrison & Foerster, about the ins and outs of green marketing effectively and legally in today's marketplace.