When people hear the term “green living” they tend to think of young people making sacrifices in life style, riding their bicycles for miles in the pouring rain, drinking soy milk and fashioning their own scratchy clothing out of uncomfortable materials. The media works hard to present the green concept as nothing but hard scrabble, hard work and hard to tolerate. That is not the only aspect of green living there is, however, and sometimes it is hard to remember that there is a more luxurious side to living green.

The newer hybrid cars are more luxurious now, with more of the options that people crave. New styles and new colors make the hybrid car easier to choose, even for those people that are a little less eco-conscious. But the idea of luxury green does not just stop with the hybrid car.

Some of the most upscale spas and resorts are part of the green movement now, with more and more of them falling in line as time goes by. Elegant vacations to the exclusive destinations are more rewarding when you can say you were doing your part to help the environment.

Make sure that your spa or resort actually does follow through with their green promises rather than just using the term as a trendy tag to get more people in their doors. The spa should use organics whenever possible, recycle all materials, and use cleaner technologies to heat and cool the facility and to run all the related treatments. Also make sure that your spa or resort gets their food supplies from local growers distributors, choosing organics or natural products when they can.

Living green can also be more upscale when the concept is applied to spectacular renovations and remodeling projects. Home improvements that are necessary not withstanding, this is an area where making a green choice is not only a great idea, but can make the home a little more luxurious as well. If you are adding a room to your house and can afford to do so, consider adding another small room to recycle, compost or incorporate some other type of green living in a bigger way than you might have been able to handle otherwise.

Your home products can be luxurious and green at the same time as well. Imagine sinking into your cloud-soft bed that is all natural, organic and completely eco-friendly. Make sure that you take the time to read all labels thoroughly- look for words that include: organic, nontoxic, un-dyed, unbleached and natural. Materials that are more sustainable and renewable are better choices than others. Cotton should be as natural as possible, bamboo is a better choice. Living green does not mean having to sacrifice style and comfort, you can live green and luxurious at the same time.