In the construction industry today, building green is the new basic black. It's a staple that has been around for years but is now getting renewed attention. According to a study conducted by Green Builder Media, a segment of homeowners, primarily those who are college-educated and 35 to 50 years old, are willing to pay 11 to 25 percent more for green-built homes.

People who make a commitment to help save the planet may also save money. The U.S. Green Building Council reports that structures built to its standards can cut energy usage 20 to 80 percent by taking advantage of available technologies such as compact fluorescent lighting and high-efficiency building shells and water heating. According to the website WaterUseItWisely.com, simply installing aerators on all household faucets can cut a home's annual water consumption by 50 percent. Couple this with replacing pre-1994 toilets with low-flow models that use half as much water per flush, and you save even more. New products on the market such as Paperstone, a composite of wastepaper and low-toxin resins that is an increasingly popular alternative material for kitchen countertops, also reinforce eco-friendly efforts.