Should I buy a cooler made from recycled materials or one that lasts longer?

Skip the “made from recycled plastic” hype and buy a cooler that will last twenty years instead. The most eco-friendly cooler is the one you don’t replace — a roto-molded plastic cooler (Yeti, Pelican, Engel) is built like a tank and will survive decades of use. If you want recycled materials, Igloo’s ECOcool line is decent but less durable, and many “eco” coolers skimp on insulation, wasting ice and energy. The real green move: buy once, cry once, or find a used high-end cooler.