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April 1, 2009 (MINNEAPOLIS) The City of Minneapolis was included in a nation-wide study that evaluated wasteful behaviors of people living in the nation’s 25 largest cities. “The Least Wasteful City Study” surveyed the cities and ranked them on 23 wasteful or non-wasteful habits, from recycling, to using public transportation, to turning off the lights when leaving the room. Minneapolis came in seventh least wasteful in the nation.

The study surveyed a U.S. Census-based sample of approximately 150 respondents from each of the 25 largest cities in the U.S.

Other facts about Minneapolis from this survey include:

• Minneapolis scored the second highest in the nation in borrowing books from the library.

• Minneapolis ranked third in buying second-hand items, including clothing, electronics, and furniture.

• Minneapolis was the fourth city in using reusable containers in place of disposable food storage containers (plastic bags, tin foil, etc.), and in saving leftover food.

The study gauged behavior on waste, sustainability efforts, shopping habits, transportation and reusing items. The results were weighted to give more credit to behaviors that had immediate and significant impact on the planet (such as driving less, recycling more and reducing trash) to small habits that are more indicative of a mindset and non-wasteful approach to life (reusing containers, limiting shower time or saving wrapping paper and ribbons). For tips on how to waste less and for complete rankings and results of the study, visit www.leastwastefulcities.com .

Minneapolis is considered one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the country, and the City has long been a leader in creating policies and practices that protect and enhance the environment and combat global climate change. For the third year in a row, Minneapolis is awarding innovative grants and micro grants to help residents, businesses and other organizations launch their creative ideas for fighting climate change. Grantees have used the funds for diverse conservation efforts. Such efforts include a school that promoted walking, biking and carpooling to reduce driving; a neighborhood association that bought energy monitors to show residents how much energy their homes really use, a music venue that reduced bottled water use by fixing the fountain in its lobby and selling aluminum water bottles at a discount; and, a church congregation that switched from Styrofoam to ceramic coffee cups. Participating groups also distributed 2,444 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in 2008.

Additional policies and practices include a new ordinance that limits vehicle idling in Minneapolis, continuing efforts for City buildings and fleets to use more renewable energy, and major infrastructure and planning improvements that the City is making around better biking, walking and public transportation that allow our residents, workers and visitors to drive less. To find out what else Minneapolis is doing to be green and some things you can do to help conserve energy, curb pollution and fight climate change, visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability .