Community Service 2009

Melissa Schweisguth hasn't thrown anything away since 2006. The sustainability expert, who helped Hershey improve its operations and now advises organic-food companies on how to shrink their carbon footprint, conserves rainwater and buys nonpackaged foods in bulk. When eating out, Schweisguth, who lives in Oregon, brings her own silverware and napkin. She can fit an entire year's worth of garbage in one coffee can. What little trash she accumulates gets composted, recycled or reused — sometimes as pillow stuffing. "I live my life in a way that aligns with my values," she says.

See pictures of the world's most polluted places.