Not only is the three-county region around and including the Portland metropolitan area, called Metro, the U.S.'s only directly elected regional government, but their charter mandates a governing body "that undertakes, as its most important service, planning and policy making to preserve and enhance the quality of life and the environment for ourselves and future generations."
With a huge part of what they do falling under garbage, recycling and waste prevention, their website offers a buyer's guide for locally-made products with recycled content, many of which come from artisans and Portland Saturday Market vendors. We think that's cool.
