Companies that have excelled in seizing business advantages from greener manufacturing share a secret weapon: they tap into the talent, expertise, and energy of front-line employees—the people who are best positioned to spot opportunities to cut energy, pollution, and waste. 3M's Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program, which rewards and recognizes employees for seizing eco-efficiency and pollution prevention opportunities, offers a shining example.8 Between 2000 and 2005, 3M not only achieved a reduction in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions indexed to net sales of 58 percent (compared to a goal of 25 percent), it also saw a rise in employee-initiated 3P projects of over 550 percent (compared to a goal of a little more than 100 percent).