Minneapolis is 7th least-wasteful U.S. city

Image courtesy Nalgene

1 San Francisco, CA
2 Seattle, WA
3 New York, NY
4 Portland, OR
5 Boston, MA
6 Philadelphia, PA
7 Minneapolis, MN
8 Los Angeles, CA
9 Washington DC
10 Pittsburgh, PA

The company says the results are based on a survey of 3,750 individuals, and "weighted to give more credit to behaviors that had immediate and significant impact on the planet."

On the upside, we score high on regular recycling. On the downside, we evidently take too long in the shower. And then there's this: We like leftovers, and we re-use a lot of rubber bands.

Minneapolis's high rankings:

• 3rd Recycling glass/metal/plastics on a regular basis
• 4th Buying secondhand items, including clothes, electronics and furniture
• 6th Using reusable containers in place of disposable food storage items such as plastic

Minneapolis's low rankings:

• 23rd Reusing wrapping paper and ribbons
• 24th Using reclosable bags and tinfoil
• 25th Limiting showers to five minutes

Environment

• 39 percent are extremely concerned about the environment
• 51 percent are fairly concerned

Drinking water

• 41 percent are extremely concerned about the quality of their drinking water
• 38 percent are fairly concerned

Items Minneapolis saves/reuses the most:

• 87 percent leftovers
• 86 percent boxes
• 78 percent rubber bands