Office Workers Dumping Own Trash to Cut Costs

Thousands of office workers are taking out their own trash, as employers seek to save money and boost recycling efforts. In Texas, 20,000 state workers now haul their own garbage and recyclables to common receptacles, The Wall Street Journal reported. In the past, that was a duty for the night janitors.

Recyclable Material: The U.S.'s Most Controversial Export?

Has our recyclable waste become one of the U.S.'s biggest exports? It's definitely starting to seem that way. The U.S. Department of Commerce says U.S. companies exported $6.8 billion worth of waste, scrap paper and paperboard in 2009, up from $5.2 billion in 2005. But not all of those materials are actually getting recycled, creating a virtual wasteland in third-world countries.

Starbucks Is Trashing Its Green Image

A shareholder resolution at Starbucks' (SBUX) annual meeting was defeated so soundly, its backer shuddered a bit when the vote was announced. No, the company wouldn't be adopting a comprehensive recycling plan -- only 11% of shareholders voted in favor. Starbucks, which has been spending much of its marketing money on promoting its "Shared Planet" initiatives lately, believes it's doing enough.