When you are trying to be eco-friendly, it can feel very overwhelming when you also want to participate in society and enjoy your life. It can often feel like you must choose between one or the other. You want to go on holiday, but you know how tourism and planes impact the environment. You want to go out to dinner or buy new clothes, but you know that the importation of goods and consumerism is littering the environment. So what can you do? Nobody is perfect and you can still lead an eco-friendly life and do good for the environment, all while enjoying your life. To help you on your journey, here are some common activities that people want to do, but get stuck when it comes to being environmentally conscious. This blog looks at some top tips on how you can still engage in activities but in a more sustainable way. Hopefully, you will find a balance between enjoying your life and caring for the environment. 

Going on holiday 

Many people like to go on holiday, but when you are trying to lead a more eco-friendly life, it can be very challenging to know the right thing to do. Planes are polluting the environment. But so are cars and cruise ships. It is important to consider how often you want to go on holiday and how to make it more eco-friendly. For example, flying is a much more sustainable way to travel than going for a cruise. You can also choose a company to travel with that is sustainably conscious and taking steps to be better for the environment. Alternatively, you may choose to travel by coach or train. 

When it comes to travelling, you will also need to consider the steps you take before, during, and after travelling. For example, many people will go out and buy new clothes and products for their holiday. At this point, you may consider how you can utilize what you already have, and buy second-hand items. You should consider how much you pack and take on holiday with you. Opt for sustainable travel bags and items that will support your efforts. Avoid disposable items.  

Buying new clothes

Society in the 21st century is used to getting things instantly. Not only access to information online but also when it comes to fashion. Society is now set up in a way that you can just tap a few times on your phone, and the next morning, you can have a whole wardrobe of clothes delivered to your door. While this can be great for you, it is not great for the environment. The fashion industry negatively contributes to the environment in several ways. The fashion industry pollutes water via the chemicals used in the textiles, releases plastic microfibers into the oceans and the sheer quantity of clothing produced and purchased by consumers leaves a significant amount of non-biodegradable waste. 

If you enjoy new clothes, fashion, and expressing yourself through your clothes, then it would be a shame to stop this. The fashion industry is bad for the environment but you should still be able to live your life and enjoy fashion, it just means you have to find a way to do it sustainably. You can do this by fixing clothes when they break, repurposing your clothes and learning how to sew, sharing clothes with friends and family, buying clothes second-hand, and passing your clothes on when you are done with them. 

Using technology

Did you know that using social media and even sending emails has an impact on the environment? When you scroll on social media, send emails, stream programs on your television, and use technology, you are using up energy and electricity. Not many people realize that technology can impact natural resource usage and carbon emissions. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t use social media or technology. Unfortunately, it has become a part of life and something that enables you to participate in society in the 21st century. Without it, you may feel isolated and lonely. Instead, you may consider how you can reduce your energy consumption as a whole and be more environmentally friendly when it comes to technology. You can do this by looking for technology items such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones that have a long battery life, so you can spend a lot less time charging items. You can also:

• Use local businesses to make and buy technology from 
• Buy accessories that will support your technology in an eco-friendly way 
• Minimize your use of technology and spend more time with people and in nature 
• Consider what the ethics of the business you are buying from are
• Consider what materials your items are made out of 
• Don’t leave technology on or plugged in to charge unnecessarily 
• Only buy new technology when it is completely necessary
• Consider buying second-hand items or using a friend's/family member's old devices 

Not only do you need to consider sustainability when you buy something, but also when you are done with items. Consider what you are going to do with your old technology and how you can dispose of it better, this might be by recycling it, repurposing it, taking it apart for spares, or passing it down to someone. 

Eating nice food 

Eating is a part of life. You need food to fuel your body. But the way that people in society today eat is not very sustainable. Food is shipped from all over the world, and much of the food available in shops is sold in plastic. This can make it difficult to get access to food. To help you lead a more sustainable life, you should try to shop and eat in a slightly different way. You can head to local businesses and farmer shops for fresh, local, organic and seasonal ingredients. This will also help to reduce buying junk and processed food that is covered in plastic and contains toxic chemicals. You can also choose to eat less animal products and more plants.

Being sustainable is something you should do to help the environment, but it doesn’t mean you can’t live your life. Follow these top tips to help you find a balance.