Consumer Reports says testers have found lots of green products are duds, but a few are worth trying. “When it comes to green cleaners and paper products, our testers have found that quality varies a lot,” said Lisa Lee Freeman of Shop Smart.

Take dishwasher detergents: ”The best-performing ones usually have phosphates, which are bad for the environment,” said Freeman. But phosphate-free dishwasher detergents are not great cleaners. However, a few are worth trying, including ones from Biokleen, Ecover, and Method. Another plus, you don’t have to pay a premium for them.

Then there’s toilet paper; of the 16 products tested, most of the recycled toilet papers weren’t as tough or as soft as conventional ones.

“But we did find that recycled toilet paper broke down easily in our disintegration tests and that’s good for your septic systems and the environment,” said Freeman. Marcal Small Steps is a good green choice and it’s also less expensive than some big brand names, so it’ll save you some green at the store too.

(Marcal also makes Sunrise Toilet Paper, one of the top selling toilet paper products from ToiletPaperWorld.com)

Thanks to KGO-TV for the article.