For the past five years, about 40 million Americans have moved, concluding up to 13 percent every year. There are so many reasons for moving, but it is also a fact that the moving process ends up creating a lot of trash and waste.
However, if done rightfully, you can keep the process green and environmentally friendly. Without wasting any more time, let’s quickly dive into some tips that will help you with a green moving process.
1. Creating An Action Plan
The first and the foremost process for moving into a new place for our business or living is to have an action plan ready. Look for the answers to the following questions.
- Are you going to hire a company to help you move?
- Or are you going to do it on your own?
- Have you asked your friends and family to help you with moving?
- Do you have labeled boxes? And other necessary items for a green move.
Think about different aspects before you begin moving so that you can save your money, time, and gas as well. Try making every step easy and simple. Consider the things which you are going to pack first. Plan to pack and load your things in a way that can help you with unpacking.
2. Utilize Already-Have Containers
It is very obvious that you have to buy some new boxes and containers when you are planning to move. However, you can cut down your costs by using some containers you already have with which you can pack a lot of your items. Consider using,
- Suitcases
- Dresser drawers
- Gym bags
- Duffel Bags
- Plastic bins
- Reusable grocery totes
Similarly, if you have any other item in which you can fit some other things, you can utilize it. For instance, cover your bathroom trash bin with a fresh garbage bag, and it is ready to put in your toiletry items. Using such containers to put in different items will allow you to save more as there will be less need for buying extra containers.
3. Go With Reusable Bins
While moving, generally, people use cardboard boxes, which after being used once or twice, are not in a condition to be used again. Hence, we have to throw biodegradable material into the environment. And according to research,
As an alternative, you can go for much greener options like reusable moving bins and crates. You can buy them or can get them for rent from your local market or hardware stores. And the best part is, once you are done with your moving, you can reuse it for keeping your seasonal clothes, holiday decorations, or securing important documents.
4. Rightfully Use Your Extra Belongings
Whenever you plan to move, you end up having some extra things which you think are not necessary and can be left out. I would suggest that you look for such items which you are not planning to use in the future so that you can reduce the weight, which will definitely reduce the effort of the moving truck and fuel as well.
While packing, you may notice that you do not use certain dresses or items. These can include canned foods which you may not be moving to your new house. You can simply donate such items.
Similarly, if you are planning to have new furniture, you can either resale the old one to a friend or donate it to a needy person.
5. Adopt Creative Packaging Ideas
Most of the packaging materials, in particular the materials that are used to keep the items safe while traveling, have very low recycling capacity.
Although some people are able to recycle these items and reuse them at special collection points, it is not possible or nearly impossible for all to do the same. And they end up throwing a lot of their packaging materials in the trash.
It is important that before you start your packing, start with the material you already have for safe packing. For example, you can use linens, comforters, towels, and even clothes to wrap up your items for safe moving.
If you need more material, you can start with greener options like newspapers that can be thrown into recycling bins. Despite using all of these materials, if you still need to use plastic packaging material for safety, make sure that you dispose of it at proper recycling centers. While working at Dissertation Assistance UK, we adopted these ideas, and it saved us a lot of money, material, and space.
6. Plan Your Driving Route Wisely & Avoid Extra Trips
Before you start your moving process on the vehicle, make sure that you have all the information about the available route and how long it will take to reach your destination. You must think if you need to pick up any other item or have to make stops on the way.
It is important that you minimize your stops and choose the best possible route without traffic and other hurdles. A smooth drive and lesser stops will save on gas and definitely lower the amount of carbon released into the air.
You should also think about using non-toxic, biodegradable material as fuel. Or hire a transport option who adopts greener options. It is much friendlier than traditional gasoline as using biodiesel instead of traditional petrol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent.
Try to make as few trips as possible. Plan your move in a way that you should avoid more trips to your house to shift the items. Place your arrangements in the truck so that you can save space and move in one go. For example, you can utilize drawers, cupboards, and refrigerators to place small items in them.
Furthermore, you can keep some small items in your car as well, which will save you another trip. This way, you will be able to effectively reduce carbon footprints through fuel efficiency.
7. Go For Self-Service Storage
Melissa Moore, Logistics Support at Crowd Writer, suggested, “There are so many items while moving which remain undecided for a long time as to whether you will use them or not. Well, if you have any such items, you can save your further trips and space in the truck by renting a room or two as self-storage.”
This way, you can have time to think about those undecided items, and you will not end up moving unnecessary items to your new house. It will ultimately save a lot of weight and space, resulting in fuel efficiency and fewer trips.
8. Reuse Your Packaging Material Once You Are Done
After arriving at your new place, be careful when you are unpacking the items. You need to make sure that you can safely recover packaging material along with your moving items.
Put your packaging boxes and bins in a pile. Return the rented ones, and you can reuse the ones you have in hand. Either you can save them for the next move or can also reuse them in your daily routine. For example, you can place some bins to keep clothes and documents or utilize them for decorating.
9. Join Hands With An Environmental Friendly Mover
If you feel a bit overwhelmed after reading all the tips, or you are not planning to move on your own, you can simply hire an eco-conscious mover like All Around Moving.
Mrs. Elsa D’Souza recommends opting for a professional move in a literature review conclusion of a paper on Green Moving, and she said, “Hiring a mover can reduce your stress, and they care about the environment and adopt greener options. From local moving to international shipping, they can be your best partner.”
Happy Green Moving
When moving, the first and foremost step is to plan your move. Think about the route, the items, and the way you are going to do it. Look for some reusable bins and containers, decide your route and try to cover your move in lesser trips. You can save a lot of packaging material by utilizing already-have stuff with some creative packaging ideas. Consider options like self-storage, recycling and hiring a reliable mover.
I wish you the best of luck with your next move, and thank you for considering a green move.
We hope you found this blog post 9 Tips To Make Your Moving Process Green useful. Be sure to check out our post What is the Cost to Move a 3-Bedroom House Locally? for more great tips!
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