Eliminating Waste From Your Move

Are you part of the solution or the problem?

Thousands of relocations happen every single day and each move leaves more and more waste for the environment. Just think of all the packaging materials needed. There’s tape, plastic wraps, synthetic fillers, carton boxes, paper covers, not to forget carbon emissions from the actual transport vehicles. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking of icebergs, have you heard about the melting polar ice caps? Yes, global warming and climate change are getting more and more serious each day. This is why typhoons and storms are getting stronger, and why the summer months are reaching record-breaking temperatures.

So here’s the question, what are you doing to help stop them? Have you ever heard of Green Moving? 

What is Green Moving

Green moving is a movement that has been gradually rising in the recent years, aimed at stopping the wasteful practices of the industry. In the past decade, more and more people have been paying close attention to how certain day-to-day processes can be improved in order to lessen the waste and the moving industry is one of them.

A lot of “green moving companies” have emerged in the last few years, organizations with radical operations and unique ideas on how to limit waste and maximize resources. Even customers are turning to this alternative in hopes of contributing to the environmental consciousness of society.

Tips on How to Do a Green Move

• Rent from Green Moving Companies that offer recycled plastic containers – The most common type of green moving companies are the ones that offer to rent you a recycled plastic container that you can use to pack your things in (such as Rentagreenbox.com). These recycled boxes are also called Green Storage Boxes. The basic flow is this: you call them and they deliver the eco-friendly boxes to your home. You then fill it up and have the containers shipped to wherever you want them to. Afterwards, you clean the box up and call the company again to have them pick it up. They will clean the boxes further and afterwards, the box can be used again by another customer.This type of setup attracts a LOT of customers for three reasons: 1) it’s eco-friendly, 2) it’s very convenient, and 3) it’s cheap!
• Stop Throwing Away Things. Recycle! – Of course, you won’t be able to bring with you half-empty shampoo bottles or old make-up cases. But instead of simply throwing them away into the trash, combine these containers (and plastics) into a single bin and have them recycled. You can sell them to junkshops or at least give them on a separately labelled container when the garbage collector comes. You can also visit www.earth911.com for details on how to recycle.
• Conduct a Yard/ Garage Sale/ Moving Sale – A lot of people simply throw the items they no longer need into the trash. What they don’t realize is that they can actually make some extra cash out of these old belongings of theirs. A yard sale is not just a great idea for cashing in on your junk, it’s also an effective way to lessen your waste.
• Donate Your Things to Charity – If you want to take things a notch higher, you can also donate your old things to charitable organizations. This is a double good deed because aside from lessening the burdens of Mother Earth, you are also going to help people who are less fortunate. You can donate your old clothes, furniture, books or toys to your local church, the Salvation Army or the Red Cross or schools. You can also visit website like www.freecycle.org, www.donationtown.org or www.clothingdonations.org.
• Biodiesel Fuels – Some special green moving companies like GoGreenMoving.com use biodiesel fuels for their moving vehicles. What’s biodiesel fuel? It’s an alternative to regular fuel that is much cleaner and comes from renewable resources. Biodiesel fuel doesn’t contain petroleum and because of this, it’s non-toxic, biodegradable and free of sulphur gases. This type of fuel isn’t harmful to the atmosphere. As an additional note, when hiring a moving company, ask them if they support green moving or have a go-green mantra. You can also ask if they are Carbon-neutral.
• Use Recycled Packing Materials – Instead of buying new supplies for your packing needs, use recycled carton boxes that you can ask from local stores or groceries. You can also use old newspaper pages for your plates. Or you can also search websites like www.craigslist.com or www.ebay.com to search for used moving materials.

Start at home

Limiting your waste starts from the simplest things. The best way for you to do a green move is to start at home. Don’t wait for the big day and make recycling a habit. An even better tip is to stop buying things that you don’t really need. Aside from saving you from the spending, you’ll also save the planet from the added waste.

If you have kids, get them involved in the recycling process too. Invite them to help you sort out your belongings and let them join in preparing for the yard sale. This will help them learn and start early on planet-saving. Training the young ones is an even bigger step towards saving our planet because they will be our earth’s stewards tomorrow.

By making conscious decisions, you can make your move more eco-friendly and definitely green.