Moving under the best of circumstances can be expensive, exhausting and time-consuming, but you may not realize the impact it can also have on the environment. One person or family moving may not create a huge environmental impact, but millions of people move every year, which creates a pretty significant impact. While no one person can completely reduce the environmental impact of moving, if millions of people reduced their individual impact by just a fraction, it will have a major cumulative effect. Here are five ways Kip’s Cross Country Movers suggests making your move more eco-friendly.
1. Gather recycled boxes
There is no doubt that simply ordering or buying boxes and other moving supplies is significantly easier than tracking down used moving materials. That being said, just a single household move can generate hundreds of pounds of waste in the form of boxes and packing materials. Not only can you make your move more eco-friendly, but you can also save a great deal of money by gathering boxes from stores. Liquor stores in particular generally have a large supply of boxes on hand, and if you need bigger boxes, big box stores are the best places to look.
2. Use packing materials you already have
Instead of buying packing paper or other materials, use linens and clothing to pack fragile items instead. Not only does this cut down on the number of materials you need to gather (and eventually throw away), but it will also significantly reduce the number of boxes you need to use to move. You can also use suitcases, trunks, and laundry hampers to pack items in, which will even further reduce the number of boxes you will need to move.
3. Offer your materials up to someone else when you are done with them
Using materials that were already recycled once can significantly reduce your environmental impact, but you can reduce it even further by letting someone else use the same materials again. The Freecycle Network is not only a great place to find used boxes, but it’s also a great way to pass them on to someone else once you have used them.
4. Make the fewest number of trips possible
If you are moving someplace close by, always make it a point to never make a trip without also taking a car packed full of belongings. If you need to rent a truck, try and rent the smallest truck available. In fact, taking one truckload of belongings will create a great deal less environmental impact than taking several trips back and forth in a car. Conversely, if you need to drive to your new home for other reasons, taking a car full of belongings can help cut down on the size of the truck you need to rent.
5. Downsize before you move
The longer you live in one place, the more things you tend to accumulate. Simply packing everything and taking it with you may seem like the most expedient choice, but it can actually make moving much more stressful in the long run. Ultimately, the more you take with you, the more stressful your move will be, so downsizing will actually help you reduce stress long-term. It may even be actually cheaper to simply sell all of your largest furniture and purchase new furniture for your new home once you arrive. That way, you not only save all the expense and hassle of moving, but you can be assured you will get pieces that fit perfectly in your new home.
