Greenhouse gases, sweatshops, child labor, oil spills, toxic waste -- most people feel helpless to stop it all, but they are still extremely concerned.

There is one constructive thing shoppers can do: Buy from companies that treat their employees and the environment right.

It's easier said than done, since it's tough to keep up with which companies use recycled packaging or support community projects. So Shopsmart, the new shopping magazine published by Consumer Reports, sorted it out -- and found plenty of companies that are doing the right thing.

Although there is no such thing as a perfect company, the ones listed below are standouts when it comes to the environment, labor relations or philanthropy.

• Ben & Jerry's. Though it's now part of Unilever, this Vermont ice-cream company keeps up its do-good reputation with a foundation that donates more than $1 million annually. It also supports local community projects and keeps a lid on its environmental impact by measuring reductions in everything from solid waste and wastewater to carbon dioxide.

• Clif Bar. The company's Clif Bars and Luna bars are certified organic and packaged in recycled paperboard boxes, with no shrink-wrapping. The Berkeley, Calif., company is always looking for ways to reduce its environmental impact -- for example, moving a distribution center closer to a bakery to reduce greenhouse-gas production.

• Kettle Foods. Great Blue Herons have returned to visit the restored wetlands at the corporate headquarters of this Salem, Ore., snack-food company. More important, the company operates one of the largest commercial solar-power arrays in the Pacific Northwest and buys wind power for the rest of its electrical needs.

• Stonyfield Farms. This New Hampshire yogurt and ice-cream company, now mostly owned by Danone, supports many organic family farms and has an award-winning environmental record. It has saved enough energy to power 4,500 homes for a year. Its recycling programs have kept millions of pounds of material from ending up at a dump or incinerator.

• Burt's Bees. The North Carolina personal-care products company is on a mission to give real meaning to the word "natural," which is currently unregulated. It publicizes the standards it follows, including what it means by natural, and lists the ingredients never used in its products. The company also uses packaging made with recycled materials and contributes to environmental charities such as the Nature Conservancy.

• Seventh Generation. This Burlington, Vt., producer of green household and personal-care products lends its employees up to $5,000 each to buy a hybrid car or make energy-efficient home improvements. It also reimburses employees up to $500 a year in alternative commuting costs and gives them another $500 to buy low-energy appliances.

• Tom's of Maine. Colgate-Palmolive bought Tom's of Maine in 2006, but agreed to keep the company's values and programs. The maker of toothpaste, soap and deodorant gives 10 percent of its profits to nonprofits, lets employees spend 5 percent of their paid work hours volunteering and sponsors programs that clean rivers and provide the poor with free dental care.

• Ikea. The world's largest home-furnishings retailer is strict about buying materials from companies that don't use child labor and sends auditors to factories to make sure working conditions are acceptable. It's also working to reduce hazardous substances used in its products, and it does not accept timber from intact natural forests.

• Patagonia. Argentina's newest coastal national park was created in large part with funding and support from Patagonia. This Ventura, Calif.-based outdoor-clothing company puts its green issues front and center, giving to green causes, recycling used garments and working to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge permanently.

• Timberland. Timberland's employees have on-site day care, generous leave options for new parents, readily available flex schedules and 40 hours of paid time annually to volunteer. The Stratham, N.H., company also installed one of the world's 50 largest solar-panel systems in its California distribution center.