If you’re concerned about the environment, there are likely a variety of habits you’ve picked up to save natural resources, animals and the earth overall.

You may even switch to eco-friendly products and foods for your personal health. From reusable and recyclable everything to an altered diet, saving the planet feels good and is getting easy as more resources become available.

The question remains, is all this greening doing any good, or are there hidden downfalls to these supposedly beneficial changes? Could your new “green” diet be making you sick?

Taking a look at some common practices, from the simple act of recycling or switching to soy, to the big purchase of an electric car, it seems things aren’t always greener on the other side.

Overeager Recycling: “It looks like plastic and/or paper, I’ll throw it in the blue bin.”

If it doesn’t look like trash, most people that understand the importance of recycling will simply throw it in the recycle pile willy-nilly—whatever “it” may be. But where does all that recyclable material go? 

It’s quite obvious that plastic, paper, aluminum, glass and all other recyclables aren’t just melted together to be a future ream of paper. Each recyclable item has to be meticulously separated and sorted so that new goods made from each of these types of materials end up useable, green solutions—not simply more trash due to contamination from the wrong kind of item being thrown into the pot. While recycling glass and paper is relatively straightforward, plastic items are not so easy. 

Each type of plastic packaging has a different chemical makeup. Additions of color, as well as the rigidity of different plastics, make it impossible to simply throw every plastic bottle, wrapper and package in the same bin.

If enough trash and food particles remain on the plastic, the entire batch of recyclables is easily ruined too. While plastic does have numerical ratings for people to more easily identify which packages are recyclable and which aren’t, most people don’t take the time to pay attention before slam dunking their water bottle into the blue bin. Some facilities only recycle type one plastics for example. What does your local recycling facility do? (And even more, have you ever even thought about it?)

Long story short, people put so much extra junk in their recycling bins that sorting out the “good” from the “bad” is laborious, and much time and energy is wasted on sorting and separating instead of actually recycling the endless items. 

Cow Farting Is Bad For The Environment: “I’ll eat fish instead.”

As people become more knowledgeable about the environmental impact of eating meat, they may find different food sources to try and reduce methane per way of eating less cows, so fewer cows are raised to be eaten, therefore reducing cow farts released. Let’s not get technical. While many don’t opt to go completely vegetarian or even vegan, a popular alternative is to become pescatarian and eat only fish. 

Problem is, eating fish is definitely no better for the environment. While fish aren’t necessary environmental pollutants themselves, they are an integral part of the fragile ocean eco-system. Bluefin tuna, an especially popular fish in sushi and tartar preparations, is rapidly becoming depleted despite the strong push for the fish to be protected by the Endangered Species Act. Scientists estimate that all wild, natural stocks of bluefin will be extinct within the next year. 

While not all fish are close to the end like the bluefin tuna, irresponsible fishing practices and severe over fishing are dangerously unmonitored. A practice called long line fishing catches marine animals incluing turtles and even small whales along with the mackrel or swordfish you might enjoy with dinner. 

Worst of all, the high levels of mercury in many large fish such as bluefin tuna and swordfish are decidedly unsafe for humans after extended periods of high consumption. Mercury poisoning is not altogether uncommon for a person who eats fish daily.

In 2005, the Wall Street Journal documented the case of a 10-year-old boy with such severe mercury poisoning that he could barely write a sentence correctly. The boy had eaten tuna sandwiches every day for at least a year. While this case is extreme, it is safe to say that nearly every fish in the sea has some mercury in its flesh…whether or not the mercury poisoning will kick in is practically a game of chance.

Cows Don’t Suffer: “Soy milk is better for you anyways.”

Many people are trying to be animal-friendly by switching away from milk, cream, cheese and butter made from a cow, goat or sheep and switching to soy. Animal friendly is usually environmentally friendly by definition, but the jury is out when it comes to soy bean products. Soy options have invaded the market dramatically in the past few green years. 

Documentaries like Food, Inc., however, have demonstrated that the soy beans which likely go into many of these every day soy products are grown from products by seed giant Monsanto. 

If you haven’t heard of Monsanto, their biggest claim to fame is the genetically modified soy bean seed, often referred to as common a GMO crop. While companies like Silk Soy Milk try and assure customers that there are no GMO beans in their drinks, the potential for crossover of the genetically modified seedlings to organic and non-modified field crops is extremely high. It takes a little wind to contaminate a whole soy bean farm that was wholly organic before a Monsanto seed hit the dirt.

While there is no definitive proof that any soy company’s product claims of “completely non-GMO soy beans” are false, it is highly likely that crossover has occurred naturally. Farmers that do not use Monsanto’s high yield seeds are often left in the dust by their productive, modified counterparts too. 

The larger implications of genetically modified plants and animals are relatively unknowable at this point. Perhaps there will be no definitive effect on the earth's natural crops once GMO’s take over, but no one can be sure there won’t be negative effects either. The point is: if you wouldn’t dare eat a genetically modified cow or chicken, why would you drink GMO soy milk? 

My Prius Kicks A$$: “I’ll drive it EVERYWHERE!” 

You’re super cool, you bought a brand new eco-friendly car. Perhaps it’s a hybrid electric, ethanol, or clean burning diesel little gem. You save money on gas. People like your style. But you have a dirty secret: you drive a lot more than all of your friends with boring lay people cars. 

 Often called the backfire effect by researchers, time and time again it’s the cleaner, greener cars that drive the most. This problem is emblematic of an issue that often develops with new technology or pre-existing technology being popularized. Just because we switch from A to B, doesn’t mean B is going to be all that much better. Perhaps there are different side effects…and of course, those could be worse.  

While electric cars are perhaps improving the environment, the cars themselves may have a pretty dirty secret too. While not common, an electric car that has been in a collision can be extremely dangerous if its battery pack is damaged or ruptured. Fire and safety crews have been trained extensively to avoid the possible electric jolt they could receive if they simply put their hands on any part of a damaged electric car.  

Carmakers have included many automatic precautions that will cut power from cars in collisions and isolate the electricity; some even provide emergency and medical personnel with instructions on handling an electric car collision.

Sure, a normal gas tank on a normal car is like a ticking time bomb…but we all know that. How many people know about the unique dangers of electric cars in collisions? No ones saying electrocution is eminent so don’t let a simple fear keep you from driving your environment saving electric car. Just remember, don’t drive too much, and don’t touch the metal. 

Some other things to think about when going green:

Filtered water in reusable bottles vs. Bottled water 

Brita and Pur filters have plastic parts in them too you know…

Single use plastic forks, knives and plates vs. Washing the dishes

Would you rather fill a landfill, or wastewater people would kill to drink (and taint it with dish soap that’s likely non-biodegradable)?

LED light bulbs vs. Incandescent bulbs

Brighter and more energy efficient yes, but just as chemical ridden—if not more toxic—than any standard light bulb.

Be your best skeptic when it comes to this green and eco-friendly stuff.

Reach reporter Molly-Marie Canales here.