Chris Gmyr

Imagine being able to move into a new home in a way that doesn’t harm the environment. By being contentious of your moving materials, it is possible to have a green move. It can save you money, and it doesn’t even take that much time or effort.

You need boxes to move. That doesn’t mean that you have to buy moving boxes, though. Check local restaurants. They usually receive huge orders, several times a week. That’s a lot of boxes, and they are more than happy to give them to someone who can use them. Other places to get boxes are Freecycle, Craigslist, or from friends and family members who have recently moved, and still have boxes left over. If you are moving someplace locally, and doing most of the moving yourself, you have an even better opportunity to have a waste-free moving day. As you move one load, unpack it and bring the empty box back with you for another use. Not only does this help the environment, it also makes setting up your new home go much more smoothly. When you are done moving, pass the boxes on to someone else who can use them.

Another option is to contact a green moving company. They often have plastic crates that you can use for moving. At the end of the move, the crates are picked up, washed out and then sanitized. The crates are then delivered to another mover. Each crate can be used up to 400 times, taking the place of thousands of boxes. Some moving companies offer this service when you hire them to move you, but there are other companies that offer just the moving crates. Although this service isn’t available in all cities, it is part of a trend that is expected to grow and become more popular within the next year.

Being smart about using boxes isn’t the only way to reduce waste on moving day. There are a lot of stores and moving companies that offer bubble wrap for safely moving your breakables. Consider the other alternatives — you probably have them lying around the home. Plastic grocery bags can be wrapped around breakables to keep them safe, and then recycled at a nearby chain grocery store. Newspaper pages also work well, and they can be recycled after the move.

Moving to a new home is the perfect time to get rid of your old clutter, but don’t just throw it in the trash. Clothes, furniture, knick knacks, and anything else that is in usable condition can be donated to the Salvation Army or put onto Freecycle. Do you have old appliances that you can’t fix? See if anyone will take them for parts. Large pieces of metal can usually be taken to scrap yards where it can be recycled and sold. Most of the things that you no longer have a use for, or room for, can be used by someone else. That can get rid of a lot of your extras before you move, making the move easier and more environmentally friendly.