Six truths about why your efforts to green may not be so green.
This post from the Compare Electricity Rates blog explores some common misconceptions about the recent trend of “greenwashing,” particularly the environmental impact certain green products may have over their regular counterparts. So what do you think–is greener always better?
- Electric cars. People don’t think about how the electricity is generated when they plug in their car. Most of the electricity in this country comes from coal generated plants, so plugging in your car doesn’t really do much to save the environment. A gas powered car with good fuel efficiency is more likely to be better for the environment than any electric car ever could be.
- Incandescent light bulbs. The standard incandescent light bulbs use more energy, but their fluorescent counterparts are filled with mercury. Does anyone think about the potentially huge environmental hazard of improperly disposing of these mercury filled bulbs? They normally end up being disposed of improperly; people will just toss them in the trash without a second thought. And filling our landfills with mercury is going to be very dangerous for the environment
- Cleaning products. Many eco-friendly cleaning products that claim to be chlorine free contain a myriad of other toxic chemicals that are worse than chlorine. The same old products you’ve always used are probably more environmentally friendly.
- Unscented detergent. Many of the green cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that produce a “fresh Scent”. Since some of these chemicals can be carcinogenic, you’re better off using unscented cleaning products.
- Garbage bags. Regular garbage bags are more eco-friendly than their biodegradable counterparts. When the so-called green bags decompose they emit methane into the atmosphere.
- Plastic bags. The choice of using paper or plastic bags has gone back and forth as to which is friendlier to the environment. The thing to keep in mind is that paper is made from trees which are a renewable resource and plastic is made from petroleum which is not.
Source: Compare Electricity Rates