Green products should also be healthy. For a product to be considered “green” is must improve human health. Products like organic vegetables that are grown without harmful chemical fertilizers should be classified as “green.” Natural vitamins and supplements like fish oil are “green” in my opinion.

Products that are made from recycled content may also be “green” in my opinion. When old tires are ground up and converted into a new rubber exercise floor, there is little doubt that the fact that keeping the tires out of a landfill in good for the environment.

When paper is recycled or aluminum cans are recycled it seems that everyone wins. However, what happens when the costs of recycling exceed the cost of just using new raw materials?

Is it really “green” when you have to expend three times the energy to convert recycled goods into a product that is comparable to another that is not made of recycled materials? What if the product is not quite as good as the one made from non-recycled materials? Are you willing to pay more for “green”?

I do believe the costs associated with “green” as coming down. I believe that they will continue to come down as more people decide to use environmentally friendly products. However, in reality everyone has their pain point, that being where it is more important to get quality and save money than be “green”. Do you know where yours is?