Keeping Your Moving Day Green

(Image courtesy of Gavin St. Ours)

It’s no surprise that everything that we do has some sort of effect on the environment. So it should also be no surprise that every choice that we make concerning our move from one apartment to the next can also have an impact. From the cleaners we choose to use in our old and new apartments to what we do with our boxes after you’ve finally finished moving in, every decision we make during a move is an important one.

Being earth-friendly during your move doesn’t have to be difficult, though. This blog from apartmentguide.com offers some great ideas to keep your move an enviornmentally friendly as possible. Keep reading to learn more ways that you can get set up in a new home, while keep your carbon footprint as small as possible.

The good news about a DIY green move is that making environmentally-conscious choices doesn’t have to make a big dent in your wallet. In fact, following some of these suggestions may even save you money.

• Boxes. Cardboard box waste is one of the least environmentally-conscious parts of moving. To make your move greener, look for used boxes or rentable, reusable crates. You can rent plastic or wooden crates from companies likeRentaGreenBox.com or RentaCrate.com. These crates are available in several sizes, just like boxes, but come with the added benefit of being sturdier, easy to grip and, of course, less wasteful.
  
• Recycling. If you’re not going to rent boxes or source used ones, you can up the green factor by recycling your moving boxes, rather than throwing them away when you’re done. You may also consider the other ways you can recycle during a DIY move: forgoing bubble wrap for recyclable newspaper, old towels or sheets. Consider donating any unwanted items to charity before you move.
  
• Cleaning. You can choose environmentally-conscious cleaning methods when you do your move-out and move-in cleaning. Look for green cleaning brands likeDr. Bronner’s and Seventh Generation in stores. Or opt to make homemade green cleaning solutions with simple, inexpensive ingredients like baking soda, vinegar and lemon.
  
• Decluttering. It may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s true: the less stuff you move, the greener your move will be. To honor earth-friendly moving, perform a thorough round of decluttering before you pack up. The less stuff you have to move, the fewer boxes you’ll need and the less fuel you’ll use to cart stuff to your new home.

Professional green movers

Earth-friendly professional movers employ many of these same practices. They may also recycle boxes for their customers or use plastic crates, rely on bio fuel vehicles, use packing blankets made from recycled materials and employ other sustainable business practices. Read about California-based Go Green Moving, as an example.

Even if you don’t have a specifically green mover in your area, you can always ask a professional mover to employ as many green moving practices as they can. You’ll be supporting the demand for earth-friendly moving practices, while reducing the impact of your move on the environment.