Making 'green' choices isn't as simple as it seems

But how do consumers decide which product or action is healthier or more environmentally friendly? Sometimes the choices are clear; other times they're more murky. Here are some examples:

Paper vs. plastic

Both can be made from recycled materials and are recyclable. Paper is made by cutting down trees — which help absorb greenhouse gases — but then again, they're renewable. Plastic bags are often made of polyethylene, produced from natural gas, which is abundant but not renewable.

But it takes more water and energy to make paper bags than it does to produce plastic bags. Neither breaks down particularly fast in a landfill, though paper is compostible; plastics don't biodegrade easily.

An alternative is taking your own reusable cloth or plastic bag to the store. But consumers shouldn't stress too much, as long as they're recycling or reusing store bags, whether by filling paper with newspapers for recycling or carrying their lunch in plastic, said Chris Newman, an environmental scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs vs. incandescent

CFLs last longer and use less energy, but also are more expensive and contain toxic mercury. That means consumers must be careful how they clean up the bulbs if they break and dispose of them properly.

But mercury also is a byproduct of burning coal. And the extra electricity needed to power incandescent bulbs often comes from coal-fired power plants. The toxin, which can cause neurological damage in children, can get into the food chain after settling into lakes and streams.

Eventually both CFLs and incandescent bulbs probably will be replaced by solid-state, or LED, lighting. But until then, environmental groups generally advocate consumers use CFLs, though people with children will want to take extra caution.