Ecolab

When big companies like Kraft Heinz, Unilever, and Arcelor­Mittal need to reduce their water usage, they call on Ecolab, the Minnesota-based firm that has become a global environmental trouble shooter. Once a carpet-cleaning business, Ecolab has evolved to focus on water management, hygiene, and food safety, with over 6,800 patents designed to help corporations reach sustainability-­minded goals. Ecolab says its proprietary technology helped customers save around 115 billion gallons of H₂0 worldwide last year. Its services as water guardian are likely to be ever more in demand, since researchers believe there will be a 40% global shortfall between the demand and available supply of water by 2030.