Posted by Nancy Sabatelli on Mar.31, 2010

©iStockphoto.com - CJ McKendry

Whether you’re re-locating across town or across the country, moving can be a major hassle! It’s a ton of work, from packing to transporting to un-packing and setting up in your new place. Inevitably, you’ll need boxes and containers to pack up all your stuff, and a means of transportation to get everything from point A to point B. But when moving day rolls around, how can you minimize waste or pollution? Check out these eco-friendly tips to make your move easier on you and the planet!

Downsize Your Stuff Well Before You Move

You probably have tons of items around your house collecting dust, crammed into closets and shoved under beds - things you haven’t used in years that you’ll never touch again. Why waste time, energy and materials packing this stuff up and transporting it to your new house? It’s not worth it! The solution? Downsize! The less stuff you have to move, the fewer packing materials you’ll need. You’ll also use less fuel to transport everything.

Start downsizing weeks or even months before moving day. Have tag sales, yard sales or give away items to friends and family. Sell items online with sites like eBay, Freecycle or Craigslist. You can also donate items to charities, thrift stores, schools, libraries or other organizations, and get a tax deduction for your donation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Hire a Moving Company

Many people think they can handle the move themselves, or with some help from their friends and family. If everyone jam packs a bunch of boxes and furniture into their cars, it should all fit, right? Well, maybe so, but that will take extra time and multiple trips, meaning you’ll waste more gas and cause more pollution. One (or two) big moving trucks waste less gas and create less pollution than multiple cars making multiple trips. In fact, a moving company “can move all your stuff at one time, helping you reduce your CO2 by about 10 percent,” writes Candice Batista on the Web site, Green Living (6).You can even find some green moving companies that use biodiesel fuel in their moving trucks (3, 4).

Consider Shipping Your Stuff By Train

This is especially efficient if you’re moving a very long distance, like cross country. Even if you don’t ship all of your possessions by train, it might be wise to ship large, heavy items – like furniture, appliances or vehicles – this way. Think of the gas and money you’ll save – and all the pollution you’ll prevent – if you transport your car on a freight train rather than driving it across the country (5).

Check Stores or Online for Big Empty Boxes

Chances are your local stores have lots of boxes from deliveries and shipments just lying around. Call around and see what’s available. You’ll be able to put these boxes to good use for your move and give them a new life, preventing them from being thrown away. Look online, too – some sites have listings from people who have boxes to get rid of. Again, check sites like Freecycle or Craigslist. You may get the boxes for low cost or even free — certainly cheaper than going out and buying new boxes! One site, UsedCardboardBoxes.com, gathers up used cardboard boxes from businesses nationwide. You tell them how many boxes and what sizes you need. Then, the site will send you the boxes, along with other packing materials (4). After your move, pass them on to someone else who’s moving, or recycle them, but don’t throw them away (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Or, instead of cardboard boxes, opt for big plastic or rubber storage containers. These may be sturdier than cardboard boxes, and you don’t have to put them together, assemble them or tape them up like you would with cardboard boxes. Another bonus – after the move, you can keep your possessions in these storage containers long-term, rather than having to unpack them (6).

Use Eco-Friendly Packing Fillers

Especially for fragile goods – like that collection of porcelain figurines or breakable dinnerware – you’ll need packing fillers to help cushion and protect your items from breaking during the move. Many people turn to Styrofoam peanuts or plastic bubble wrap for this purpose. However, these often get thrown away in landfills and aren’t biodegradable. A better idea? Line your boxes and protect your possessions with old blankets, clothes, towels, newspapers, etc. If you must use Styrofoam peanuts, after your move, check with local shipping and packing companies – some may buy them back and re-use them (2, 3, 6).

When planning a move, even simple, little tweaks such as these can have a major impact on cutting down on wasted energy, fuel and material.

Sources

1. West, Larry. Tips for Making an Eco-Friendly Move. (n.d.). About. Retrieved March 4, 2010 from http://environment.about.com/od/reducingwaste/a/move_green.htm

2. Eco-Friendly Packing. (2010). Movers.com. Retrieved March 4, 2010 from http://www.movers.com/green-moving/eco-friendly-packing.html

3. Fletcher, Alison. 10 Green Moving Tips. (August 21, 2009). Suite 101. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from http://reducing-waste.suite101.com/article.cfm/10_tips_for_a_greener_move

4. Pack Up a Load of Green Moving Tips. (March 27, 2008). FrontDoor.com. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from http://www.frontdoor.com/Buy/Pack-Up-a-Load-of-Green-Moving-Tips/1529

5. Peterson, Josh. Move Across the Country the Eco-Friendly Way. (November 25, 2008). Planet Green. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/eco-friendly-distance-move.html

6. Batista, Candice. Moving the Green Way! (March 12, 2009). Green Living. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from http://www.greenlivingonline.com/blog/candice/moving-green-way

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Posted under Eco-Friendly Ideas, Living.