Moving out of your house is never easy as there are many things you have to consider, including the logistics, packing, and arranging movers. Eco-friendly moving is often the last thing considered.
Saran wrap, bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, and plastic bags are common packing materials for moving. But what do these items have in common? They are all fodder for landfills! Once we are done with the move, we throw this stuff out, and it contributes to the growing heap of landfills that are making the Earth more polluted with each passing day.
Most of us get irresponsible when it comes to environment-friendly practices. As responsible humans, we all must take the responsibility of saving up resources and time and look for sustainable options that are less damaging to the environment.
There are multiple ways you can move while observing eco-friendly tips. In this post, we will discuss Eco movers and some eco-friendly moving tips through which you can protect the environment as you move to your new house.
What Is Eco-Friendly Moving?
Moving requires various resources, including packaging materials and transport. Transporting your items uses a lot of gasoline. Similarly, bubble wrap or other packaging material that contains plastic is extremely harmful to the environment. Selecting resources that are friendly toward the environment, such as biodegradable packaging material, is a way to move while staying eco-friendly.
More about Eco-Friendly Movers
You have to contact a moving company when moving to a new place. Eco movers are companies that aim to remain eco-friendly in their operations. They use environment-friendly products and packaging and prefer to take shorter routes and fewer trips to move your items.
These movers also prefer biofuel over gasoline which is a healthy way to protect the environment. They also prefer to select reusable storage boxes that can be used later by clients.
Some of the common practices by eco-movers are:
- They enthusiastically take part in tree planting
- Sponsor and organize tree-planting drives
- Voluntarily work towards cleaning parks etc.
- Use biodiesel fuel when available
- Use 100% recycled cardboard boxes for packing
Some Tips to Make Your Move More Eco-Friendly
Not only can you be eco-friendly by using these companies, but there are also a lot of other ways you can move while staying environment-friendly. Let’s have a look at a few tips below:
1. Clean Up Before Your Move
Before you start packing your stuff, do a thorough clean-up at your house. Get rid of all the extra and useless material that you have currently. If you have been hoarding useless stuff, now is the time to let it go.
It is best to give away the stuff you don’t need before you start packing, so you don’t have to waste time and resources on useless items. Sort through your clothes, useless gadgets, kitchen supplies, and toys and discard the stuff you don’t need.
You can even give away big stuff, such as sofas and carpets, before your move. Some of these items cost more to move than buy new, so when you get to your new place, purchase new things rather than hauling old ones across the country.
However, if your carpets or furniture are relatively new and you can have them cleaned, take them with you. It’s better to have them professionally cleaned before you pack, though; Carpet Cleaning Stevenage, a cleaning company, helps you clean your carpets before you move out of your old house or even after moving to a new home.
You can categorize items and donate the charity the ones that are unwanted but still in good condition. Otherwise, discard the things that are not required anymore.
You can either:
- Gift
- Donate
- Sell
2. Go For Recyclable Materials
The plastic trash bag is often used in moving. However, it is a significant threat to the environment. We suggest you get rid of plastic bags. There are various disadvantages of plastic bags, including:
- You cannot see what’s inside
- Severe threats to the environment
- Not safe to keep items intact
You should instead go for cardboard boxes that are environmentally friendly and help you organize things better. These boxes come in various sizes so you can choose the right size of box depending on the number of items. These boxes also help you keep things intact.
You can also look for biodegradable bubble wrap to pack your items. Moreover, newspapers, towels, shirts, suitcases, and curtains can also be used to wrap your items! Laundry baskets can be filled with shoes, clothes, or other household items. You can be as innovative as you can to make sure you are wasting as few resources as possible.
Other biodegradable packing items you can use are:
- Biodegradable packing peanuts
- Cornstarch packing material
- Mushroom packing material
- Corrugated bubble wrap that can be used multiple times
- Reusable inflatable packing pillows
- Recycled plastic
3. Use Hand-Me-Downs
There is no harm in using used items; you are helping save the environment by reusing someone else’s stuff. When moving, you can ask someone who has recently moved to give you their packing material.
People rarely use moving boxes once they have moved, so it is always good to contact such people and ask them for their boxes. This way, you can stay environmentally aware and help save some resources as well as time.
How to get in touch? Use the internet!
- Ask your friends on Facebook or Twitter
- Join Facebook pages dedicated to this purpose
- Ask on social discussion forums like Quora
4. Use Fewer Trips
If you are using a mover, look for the ones that are actively working towards staying eco-friendly in their operations. Most of these movers explain on their websites how they help conserve natural resources.
Your movers must use fewer trips back and forth as you are doubling the carbon footprint with more trips. Try looking for moving trucks with maximum capacity so you can fit your stuff in one trip.
5. Proper Disposal
Once you are done with your move, you need to be careful how you dispose of the materials used during your move. If you are a frequent mover and plan to move in the future, then you must save all the packaging items for your next move.
If you do not have any such plans, then you can either donate them to someone in need or even sell them online where interested clients would be able to buy them from you.
Takeaway – Choose Eco-Friendly Moving With These Easy Tips
These are some tips that can help you move while staying eco-friendly and making the least impact on the environment. You can try to conserve resources by these little steps and play your part in saving the environment.
Finding Help with Moving Professionals
We hope you found this blog post Eco Movers and Eco-Friendly Moving Tips useful. Be sure to check out our post Green Moving Tips – Eco-Friendly Moving Guide for more great tips!
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