Are you moving soon? If you’ve already started packing, you might have realized how much waste is involved when relocating to a new house. When packing away your belongings, you quickly begin to understand how much unwanted or unnecessary stuff you have. If you’re worried about the environmental impact of moving, here are some packing tips for the eco-friendly mover, courtesy of Focus Moving Services.
Have Less Stuff to Pack
It goes without saying that the less stuff you have, the less you need to pack, which will reduce the number of cardboard boxes you need to use. It will also make your moving day less expensive as there will be fewer items to haul into the truck. Take a look at your household items and figure out:
- What you need
- What you want
- What you’re not sure about
- What can go
Start from the “what can go” pile and separate the reusable items from those that can be recycled or repurposed. Try not to throw anything in the garbage. Your unwanted books, clothes, games, and kitchenware can be donated to charity. Go down the list of items and try to minimize as much as you can. By the time you reach the items you “need” you might notice just how much you’ve eliminated.
Reuse Cardboard Box
While brand-new packing materials have many benefits, there’s no reason you can’t source old cardboard boxes yourself. Every day, stores shove perfectly usable and perfectly clean boxes in their giant blue or green bins to be thrown out or recycled. Save money and help the environment by bringing these easy-to-find boxes home to pack your things in. Just make sure to check your boxes before packing them, as they may be harbouring grime or dirt.
Use Eco-Friendly Packing Materials
We recommend using packing materials like bubble wrap or packing peanuts to protect your fragile items and electronics. You can mitigate the use of so much disposable material by using your own household goods to wrap those same items. Wrap crystal or porcelain in tightly rolled sweaters, slide Christmas ornaments into boots, and insert plates in between folded towels.
Commit to Fewer Back-and-Forth Trips
People moving locally find it easy to make several trips back and forth from new home to old home either before or after their “big” move. While this is obviously convenient, it’s also an excessive use of gas, which, as you probably know, is a major contributor of greenhouse gases. Save money on gas and reduce CO2 emissions by taking fewer trips.
Focus Moving Services is committed to providing our clients with sustainable and intelligent moving services. Whether you’re moving locally or internationally, Focus Moving Services will be there for you. Contact us today for more information.
