Top 5 Green Products Not to Buy

3. Carbon Offsets

The idea is appealing to most eco-friendly consumers: Buy a carbon offset and the money goes to a company that invests in projects to reduce greenhouse gases. That way, you help offset the emissions you release while driving your car to work or flying to your favorite vacation spot. But this emerging field has more good intentions than tangible results, says Brian Clark Howard, eco-tips editor for TheDailyGreen.com.

4. Wine and Spirits

That after-dinner cocktail or glass of wine doesn't become a healthier habit just because the alcohol involved is organic. Many organic wines and spirits are calculated marketing efforts rather than health and environmental statements, says Jerald O'Kennard, director of Chicago-based reviewing group the Beverage Testing Institute. "There's a lot of Johnny-come-lately products out there that aren't worth it," he says. Fermentation, distillation and filtering — intrinsic parts of wine and spirit production — eliminate any pesticides anyway, especially in high-proof alcohol like vodka. An "organically grown grapes" label is also misleading, because the winery is still allowed (and often uses) some 500 additives in the winemaking process, says Natalie MacLean, editor of wine education site Nat Decants.

5. Green Building

Swapping your outdated clothes dryer for a new, energy-efficient model is a simple, easy fix to save money and improve your home's value. But not every green building upgrade is worth it, cautions Howard. Solar panels for your roof or a geothermal heating system can easily set you back tens of thousands of dollars. "It's not feasible unless you have a tremendous amount of money, and that's not an improvement that's going to pay for itself in the lifetime of the house," he says. You'd need to stay put for at least a decade just to recoup the initial purchase cost through lower energy bills.

Follow SmartMoney on Facebook, Twitter & More:

  To license SmartMoney content and tools, click here