Cleaning up.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf may have gone green, but that doesn't mean the color of the coffee is funny. It's an environmental thing.

The Los Angeles-based company was recognized this month by the National Green Restaurant Association for its efforts to conserve energy and water and to manage waste in an environmentally friendly way.

The GRA honored 11 Los Angeles locations for meeting its criteria for Certified Green Restaurants, and 12 more Los Angeles locations are working to earn a certificate by the end of the year, said Michael Oshman, president of the association.

"It's a good business decision," he said, because the company saves an estimated $280,000 over the next five years from lower gas, water and waste management bills. "It makes more sense than not to."

For Green Restaurant Association certification, a company must commit to setting-up a recycling system, using water-and energy-efficient equipment, using non-toxic cleaners and building an energy-efficient lighting system.