There are many ways to have a sustainable move, from using eco-friendly moving boxes to buying from eco-friendly packaging companies. We’ll discuss how to minimize decluttering waste, sustainably dispose of items, use sustainable moving supplies, have an eco-friendly moving day, and be sustainable after the move. With these five tips, you’ll have a good idea of how to protect the Earth while moving.
Table of Contents
1. Minimize Decluttering Waste
As you prepare for a move, you’ll probably have a lot of stuff that’s not worth taking along. You could just lug all of it to the dumpster, but there are much more eco-friendly alternatives.
Start your decluttering early. For each item you want to trash, figure out if someone could get use out of it. If so, you have some options.
You can give away your items for free. Ask around to see if anyone you know is currently furnishing a home. You can also sell your items- hold a garage sale, and advertise the rest on websites like Facebook Marketplace.
Another option is to donate your unwanted items; businesses like Goodwill accept a variety of donations beyond clothing, from electronics to cookware to sports equipment. Similarly, if you have nonperishable food items to get rid of, consider donating to a food bank.
Lastly, think outside the box for ways to re-purpose items. Maybe something you own can serve a different purpose in your new home.
This decluttering process takes some time, but you can make a big dent in your moving waste if you start early!
2. Sustainably Dispose of Items
There might be some things you simply can’t find a new home for before your move. Some of these can be recycled, and some need to be disposed of in specific ways.
For example, many people throw away electronics. However, e-waste contains toxic metals that can harm human health. Thus, look for places that can safely dispose of your e-waste.
People also commonly throw away paper products, such as old magazines or moldy books. These can be recycled as well. Other items you should recycle during a move include batteries, power cords, Styrofoam, light bulbs, and mattresses.
Lastly, moves often involve disposing of hazardous waste like cleaning chemicals, paints, or oils. Look for local resources to safely dispose of these products to avoid polluting the environment.
3. Use Sustainable Moving Supplies
You can also be eco-friendly while moving by using sustainable moving supplies.
One way to get eco-friendly moving boxes is by asking other people for old boxes or reusing boxes you have. Local businesses like restaurants or retail stores might also give you free boxes upon request.
If you’re unable to get used boxes, you can also rent reusable ones. These eco-friendly moving boxes might even be cheaper than cardboard ones. You can also buy plastic bins to use for moving, which you can later repurpose for storage.
You can double down on sustainability in your other moving supplies too. For example, consider investing in biodegradable packing tape from eco-friendly packaging companies. This tape is often made from paper, which breaks down much more easily than plastic.
If you need to pad boxes, avoid Styrofoam or bubble wrap; instead, up-cycle old clothing, or use items like blankets that you can later reuse. If these aren’t options for you, you can also find biodegradable versions of products like packing peanuts and bubble wrap from eco-friendly packaging companies.
4. Have an Eco-Friendly Moving Day
You can also increase your sustainability on moving day itself. Most moving trucks run on diesel fuel. Diesel creates toxic emissions like ozone, many of which come from diesel-powered vehicles.
Thus, one way to have an eco-friendly move is to move without trucks. UniMovers is a labor-only service that can help you load and unload your vehicle. Depending on your vehicle, there’s a good chance that driving yourself will be more fuel-efficient than using a truck. Just make sure to minimize trips between your homes!
If you do choose to hire a moving truck, you can also find companies that offer eco-friendly options, including trucks that run on renewable resources.
Keep in mind that the more you get rid of before a move, the less you need to carry to your destination. Therefore, you can also plan for a sustainable move by decluttering as much as possible in advance. In fact, moving without a truck can be a good motivation to downsize as much as possible. However, plan so you don’t get rid of items that you’ll later need to replace!
5. Be Sustainable Post-Move
There are also things you can do to be sustainable after your moving day. A major one is to recycle your packing materials.
You can save materials like boxes or bubble wrap for future moves, crafts, or home projects. In addition, consider reusing your moving boxes for storage in your new home. You can also give them away to others who may be moving soon, or advertise them on the internet.
If you can’t find a use for these supplies, make sure you recycle your cardboard boxes and plastic materials. You can recycle cardboard boxes via your normal curbside recycling program. For plastic materials, many large retailers have recycling programs that will accept them.
Lastly, consider setting up your new home in an eco-friendly way. For example, use eco-friendly paints and cleaning supplies, switch to LED lightbulbs, and put in good insulation. A move is a great chance to cultivate a sustainable home from the start!
Conclusion
Now you know some ways to make your move eco-friendly during all steps of the process. First, minimize your waste before the move: throw away as little as possible while decluttering, and sustainably dispose of anything you need to trash. Use eco-friendly materials while packing, and look into eco-friendly options on moving day, such as hiring a labor-only service like UniMovers. Finally, take advantage of your fresh start by recycling your moving supplies and setting up a sustainable home.
Sophie Pollack-Milgate has a day job as a research assistant. In her free time, she likes to read 10% of the library books she checks out, complain about how either ice or heat are ruining her runs (depending on the season), and modify recipes beyond recognition.
