Portland Wastes Not ... At Least According to This List

The term "green" can mean just about anything and often carries about as much weight as a bundle of balloons.

But in America's never-ending quest to quantify sustainability, Nalgene has released America's Least Wasteful City Study. And sure enough, Portland ranks third overall on the list compiled by the reusable container company, behind only San Francisco and New York City.

The study focused on 23 waste or waste-saving habits, ranging from shopping practices and transportation, to recycling and energy use. U.S. cities were compared against one another with a sampling of 3,750 individuals questioned.

Portland ranked #1 in seven categories, including buying second-hand products, purchasing locally grown food and using reusable containers. Also, 78 percent of Portlanders considered themselves "eco-conscious" and 88 percent of us plan on doing more for the environment next year.