Best way to be green - Don't buy junk that'll end up breaking and get thrown in the trash.

Sometimes quality stuff isn't that expensive, especially if you're willing to buy secondhand or older gear. One good thing about changing fashions is that you can always find someone who's willing to lose money just to have the latest gear. In the last few years, I don't think I've ever paid more than 50% of the retail price for any of the outdoor equipment I've bought, and a majority of the time I'm paying less than 20-30%. On a lucky day I can pay less than 2%. It is still cheaper than the brand new junk most places sell.

Either way, in an emergency, that kind of stuff is way down the priority list. If you can worry about being green and what the carbon footprint of your backpack has, then it's not a very serious emergency. Honestly, I think most of the "green" movement is just a superficial way of making yourself feel better without actually having to do anything difficult, but then I'm a cynic.