No matter whether you’re moving alone or with help, green moving is an easy and efficient way to make an impactful statement about sustainability and the world we live in.
Simple actions such as decluttering, recycling and creative packing techniques can go far in minimizing your environmental footprint when moving.
Packing
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When planning to move, it is essential that your move be as eco-friendly as possible. Although this can be challenging at times, with some effort you can decrease waste created during the moving process and decrease carbon footprint as a result of this decision.
Eco-friendly moving companies will often provide reusable plastic bins that you can use to pack your items. These bins provide an eco-friendly alternative to cardboard boxes as they seal tightly without tape and provide easy disposal of packaging material waste.
When packing fragile items, try using soft padding materials such as blankets, towels and bed sheets as padding. Not only are these easily available and more cost-effective than Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap but they’re also much less of an eyesore!
Disposal
Moving is often associated with creating waste; from single-use packaging materials to piles of clutter in closets and drawers, moving can generate much trash that must be dealt with.
Reducing waste during a move requires practicing responsible recycling, gifting and donating of items you no longer require – such actions will help cut down on how much garbage ends up in landfills.
Care should also be taken when disposing of hazardous materials that may harm the environment, including fuels, solvents, paint, chemicals and any other potentially harmful materials such as solvents and paint thinner.
One way to ensure you do not waste any toxic or hazardous goods when moving is to request items from friends and family before making the journey yourself. This will reduce the need to purchase new supplies at the last moment.
Transportation
Moving is often an exhausting, time-consuming, and draining process; whether for work, family needs, or simply exploring new places. Luckily there are ways to make your move greener than ever! There are some lesser known strategies you can employ that could reduce carbon emissions during this process.
One of the key steps for packing efficiently is decluttering. Doing this will allow you to reduce the number of boxes required, saving both space and money on packing materials.
Choose an eco-friendly truck or container when moving home to reduce both carbon emissions and your fuel bill.
Many reputable green moving companies use biodiesel or hybrid vehicles to reduce emissions; however, you have other transportation options available to make your move green. It’s important to choose what best meets your needs!
Recycling
Recycling helps lower pollution, save energy and money, preserve natural resources and save the planet. Recycling keeps waste out of landfills or incinerators where harmful chemicals could release into the environment.
Recycled materials can be remanufactured into new products or put to other uses, helping reduce the need for raw materials that must be extracted, grown, harvested and transported around the globe, which in turn has negative impacts on both wildlife and our planet.
Once recyclable materials have been properly sorted, they can be taken to a recovery facility for processing and reuse in new products. Such facilities use various technologies – vacuums, magnets and rotating trommels that filter objects by size and weight to ensure only recyclable objects are processed into new materials.
Recycling offers many advantages that can improve lives all around the globe. By adopting positive recycling habits ourselves, we can all make our world a better place for future generations.