Many of us are guilty of having one or more bad habits. While we tend
to know how they negatively impact our lives and the lives of those around us,
most of us don’t realize how they harm the environment as well. This unwelcome
impact on the planet raises the stakes when it comes to reasons to put an end
to our bad habits.

Here are some bad habits that harm the environment and tips on how to
stop them:

1. Wasting Food

Have you ever considered how much food is wasted every day? While
supermarkets and restaurants are the biggest culprits when it comes to food
waste, the volume of food thrown away by households is also staggering.

Committing yourself and your family members to eating everything you
buy is easier said than done. The real trick is to improve your grocery
shopping in order to reduce the amount of food that becomes destined to be
discarded. Devise a monthly meal plan for your household that makes the most of
the foods you buy. Keep track of consumption to calculate how much of certain
items you should buy at one time. These and other ways to reduce food waste will
contribute towards a reduced demand for food that better reflects how much is
actually consumed.

2. Drug Addiction

Drug addiction hurts people in numerous physical, mental, social, and
professional ways. It also contributes to environmental damage. Just think
about the logistics of growing and transporting narcotics on a grand scale. It
requires a lot of natural resources and energy. What’s more, most narcotics
manufacturing operations are indifferent to ways in which their illegal
operations harm the local environment.

The best way to reduce the negative impacts of the narcotics industry
is for individuals to get clean. There are a number of ways to stop using and
abusing drugs. One option is to go to rehab and follow up with therapy and
group meetings. Those with exceptional cases of addiction should consider
ibogaine treatment. Many addicts are learning what is ibogaine therapy and how it can work to treat their addiction.
Ibogaine is a natural substance that can help people through withdrawal.

3. Driving Big and
Powerful Vehicles

Sure, fuel prices are relatively low. That doesn’t make it okay to have
a giant gas guzzler as your everyday vehicle of choice. Besides, fuel won’t be
cheap forever. Gas-powered automobiles emit enormous amounts of toxic emissions
into the atmosphere. The larger the vehicle and the more powerful the engine,
the more emissions get released per mile.

The best solution is to buy an environmentally friendly hybrid or
electric car. For those who can’t afford the price of these vehicles, pick a
small car with good gas mileage. You should also start a carpool for work and
school to reduce the number of cars on the road. If it’s convenient for you,
consider taking public transportation whenever possible. If a place is within
walking distance, put your legs to good use and get there the old fashioned
way. If anything, these measures will save you a lot of money on fuel!

4. Supporting
Environmentally Unfriendly Companies

As consumers, we have a responsibility to make the right choices for
the environment when we buy things. Shop at stores that make an effort to be
environmentally friendly with their product, packaging, and logistical
practices. Don’t wait for the government to put regulations in place. We the
public should make the right choice and support sustainable businesses as
opposed to those which aren’t and charge us 50 cents less as a result. Paying a
little more to help save the planet is a small price to pay in the grand scheme
of things.

5. Smoking

Smoking puts toxins into the air. Those chemicals hurt the air that you
and the people around you breathe. You may have made the decision to breathe in
toxins, but other people didn’t. The more smoke we put into the air, the worse
the air quality gets. Do your part by quitting smoking. Your body will thank
you, and you’ll smell better.

Having bad habits is part of what makes us humans. Another thing that
makes us human is the ability to examine our actions and strive to do better.
Do better for the environment.