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These days, the eco-friendliness topic seems to be widely discussed. The green way of living is being embraced by more and more people every year.
I rarely change any aspects of my life and daily habits, but in this case, me and my family decided to green our move.
We realized that we truly are concerned about the well being of our environment and that we want to do our best to preserve nature. That’s why we started applying green living principles in our everyday life — even when it was time for us to move into a new house. Yes, it is possible to be green even in this undertaking.
Moving is really tedious, but it also causes a lot of waste. There is usually tons of garbage left over once the move is complete:
- heaps of cardboard boxes,
- packing peanuts,
- plastic wrapping,
- and so on.
All of these are used just once and thrown away afterward.
However, with our move, we chose to embrace the eco-friendly method and to cut as much as possible on the moving related items. Our motto was: “Think in perspective.”
Here is how me and my family carried out a green move…
Green Moving Tips
#1 – Don’t move every item that’s in your house.
First of all, we tried to take as few things as possible.
Moving the entire household makes no sense. At least in our case, there were a lot of things that were not used in the last couple of years, and there was no prospect for them to ever get used again. The less stuff you move, the lighter the load is and the less gas you will burn. That will also save you money.
As for the things we did not take with us to the new home, we held a garage sale and made some extra money! However, if you don’t feel like doing a garage sale, you can just donate your items to those who might need them. I dare say we went quite far when leaving things behind.
We even emptied the refrigerator. We decided that by the time we arrive to our new home, most of the items will turn bad. We gave those fridge contents to the needy.
#2 – Reuse moving and packing supplies.
Next up, the moving boxes — a crucial element to the moving process.
In order for us to get moving boxes, we placed a couple of ads online and in a local newspaper. This way we got boxes that were going to be re-used and for quite cheap, too.
Once we were done with them, we took them to the recycle plant. This was the most logical thing for us to do. Some boxes that were still not completely worn and torn were turned into a castle for our two young boys.
Another smart idea (which we unfortunately did not think of in time) is to buy sturdy plastic or wooden crates that can be used over and over again. Or you can rent moving boxes.
We decided not to buy any bubble wrap but to use old newspapers and towels as packing material instead. Thankfully, there were no damaged items. So we saved some money on plastic bubble wrap, which is known to regrade real slow and is a major nature pollutant.
#3 – Research moving companies that use eco-friendly practices.
As you can see, we carried out the move all by ourselves. However, if you decide to use the services of a removal company, look for one with attributes that are environmentally friendly.
For instance, a moving company that uses trucks and vans which run on biodiesel is better than one that does not.
If the company you choose simply doesn’t use any eco-friendly practices, you can ask them if they could make an exception — if you have something specific in mind. Provided that they are a reliable company which values its costumers, they surely will be glad to stick to your preferences.
Heather Roberts is a writer from London, UK. She has great flair for decoration and interior design. She is searching for new challenges and hence often moves to different places. Heather writes about home and office removals in Holland Park.
I like to help people find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about "outside the box" Household Tips and Life Hacks that most wouldn't think of. I'm super-organized. And I LOVE to clean! I even enjoy doing laundry (but not ironing). I’m also a lifelong dog owner — so I often share my favorite tips for living with dogs inside your home (like smart home design choices and dog-friendly cleaning & decorating ideas). Career-wise, I've been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). Prior to that, I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I'm truly passionate about instead. For example, I've worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. When I’m not cleaning, organizing, decorating, or fixing something… you'll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
