Many of today's home shoppers are looking for energy efficient, environmentally friendly features in their new homes to help them live a more sustainable lifestyle. And once ready to move to a new home, the first step towards living a more sustainable lifestyle is to make an eco-friendly move.
Moving to a new home can be a wonderfully exciting (and sometimes stressful) experience that can also have an environmental impact. And just like many things in life, thoughtful planning and eco-conscious choices can make your move much more green. From packing materials to transportation, this blog post offers helpful tips and resources to ensure your move is as green as possible.
1. Assess & Declutter Your Belongings (Start Early!)
Assess Your Belongings
To make your move as less stressful as possible, start the process of assessing, decluttering and donating your belongings early! Well before any packing begins, take a thorough inventory of your possessions. Ask yourself: Do I need this? Have I used it in the last year? Does it bring value to my life? This will help you identify items you can let go of, reducing the volume of goods you need to move. The fewer items to move, the fewer the boxes, packing materials and trips needed to move them.
For anyone who has lived in a home for many years and has a lifetime of belongings and memories, this may seem daunting. But here are some tips from the pros to help simplify the process (and hopefully make it a bit more enjoyable):
- Start early, end happy: Sorting through your belongings and de-cluttering a home doesn't have to be overwhelming. Start with realistic goals (such as a closet) and work in small increments of time. You'll have made lots of progress before you know it!
- Create a space plan: A space plan is a road map for your move and will help you make decisions on which items will fit in your new home.
- Don't keep "what if" items: How often have you said, "What if I want to use that one day?" Only keep items you love, use or need.
- You are not an ezStorage for your children: Schedule a pick-up date with your children to take the items you have been storing for them.
- Be generous: Donate as many items as possible. It will make you feel good and may have positive tax benefits.
- Consolidate collections: If you have a collection, take a favorite item as a show piece and share the others with family and friends.
- Use what you have: Use the items in your pantry before buying any more or donate any unused pantry items to local food banks.
- Start shredding the paperwork: Now is the time to shred unnecessary paperwork.
- Ask for help!: Let the professionals reduce your stress and help you through the process.
Click here to read our Empty Nester's Guide to New Home Buying with more tips and resources, including a list of local shredding companies, move management solutions and more.
Items You No Longer Want - Donate, Recycle, Gift or Sell
For items you decide not to keep, consider donating to local charities, recycling, gifting or selling them rather than throwing them away. Anything that can be used again, instead of taken to a landfill, will go a long way in helping make your move more eco-friendly.
Expert Tip: How to know when you should get rid of an item? The experts say if you haven't worn/used it in the last 12 months, then you likely never will.
Where to Donate Clothes
Looking for place to donate used clothes in the greater Washington, DC area? Below are some of the local organizations that accept used clothing. Clearing out your closet can not only benefit you, but others as well!
- Goodwill of Greater Washington: Goodwill accepts donations of gently used clothing and other items. They have a number of drop-off locations throughout the D.C. area.
- The Salvation Army National Capital Area: With multiple donation centers and thrift stores, The Salvation Army is another option for donating used clothing.
- Suited for Change: Provides professional attire, coaching, and skills training to women in need who are seeking employment.
- A Wider Circle: This organization focuses on poverty alleviation and accepts donations of professional attire and casual clothing.
- Martha’s Table: Supports families in need and they welcome donations of clothing for children and adults.
You'll be so happy when you arrive to your new home and only have your favorite and functional items to unpack in your closet. And for more tips on how to set up an organized closet in your new home, click here.
Where to Donate Furniture & Larger Items
Organizations in the Washington, DC area that will pick up donations free of charge in addition to drop off locations:
For electronics, look for e-waste recycling centers in your area.
2. Plan Your Eco-Friendly Move
Thoughtful (and Early!) Planning
Now that your decluttering and donating is well underway, it's time to start planning on how to best move the items you will take with you. The key to a successful eco-friendly move is to, once again, start planning well in advance. This gives you ample time to research sustainable options, gather eco-friendly supplies, and make informed decisions. Many suggest to begin at least 8 weeks before your moving date to ensure you have enough time to implement green strategies.
Create a Checklist
Develop a comprehensive moving checklist that includes eco-friendly tasks. This could include researching green moving companies, sourcing sustainable packing materials, and donating unwanted items. Below is an example.
Want to download and use this checklist?
Click here!
3. Choose Eco-Friendly Moving Services
Research Green Movers
Look for moving companies that prioritize sustainability. Some companies use biodiesel trucks, offer reusable packing materials, or have specific green initiatives.
We researched some local DC area movers and found the following have webpages describing their sustainable practices*:
- JK Moving
- District Moving
- Around Town Movers
- Victory Van Corporation
- Gentle Giant
- Eco Moving
- Beltway Movers
Questions to Ask Movers
When vetting moving companies, ask about their environmental policies. Do they use fuel-efficient vehicles? Do they offer eco-friendly packing materials? How do they dispose of waste?
According to this Consumer Reports article, here is a list of questions to ask movers:
- Does the company use trucks that run on biodiesel or electricity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
- Does the company participate in SmartWay, an EPA program to help businesses become more sustainable?
- Does the company offer any recycling services for items discarded in the move?
- Does the company collaborate with any local nonprofits to donate furniture, clothing, or food clients leave behind?
- Does the company offer alternatives to cardboard boxes or offer a box recycling or reuse service?
- What long-term sustainability goals has the company committed to?
4. Use Sustainable Packing Materials
Reusable Boxes & Containers
When thinking about how you will pack up all your items, consider if you already have items you can use instead of cardboard boxes. These could include suitcases, storage containers, dresser drawers, baskets, reusable totes and more.
If you do need more boxes and containers, ask if your moving company has reusable plastic containers or consider renting them. If you opt for cardboard, look for used boxes from friends/neighbors or local stores or even online marketplaces.
Here are a few places where you can buy or rent eco-friendly boxes and containers:
Second-hand (but good condition) cardboard boxes
Rentable bins delivered to your doorEco-Friendly Packing Supplies
Now that you have eco-friendly boxes and containers, make sure you are stuffing them with eco-friendly materials. Once again, you can use items you already have (and need to pack anyways!) such as clothes, towels, blankets, bedding and more.
If you do need additional packing materials, make sure to use eco-friendly options such as:
- Biodegradable/paper wrap instead of traditional bubble wrap
- Dissolvable packing peanuts
- Biodegradable packing tape
- Recycled zip ties
Moving supply companies, such as Reuze listed above, may also offer packing materials in addition to boxes and bins.
5. Ensure Efficient Transportation
Optimize Transport
If you have hired an eco-friendly moving company, hooray! Or, if you are doing the move yourself, here are a few tips to help ensure efficient transportation.
- Plan your move to require as few trips as possible.
- If you're moving locally and don't have any large furnishings, consider making several small trips with a fuel-efficient vehicle instead of one trip with a large (gas-guzzling) truck.
- If you do have larger items and need to rent a truck or van, try to find an efficient vehicle, such as this electric truck or cargo van.
- If friends or family are helping with the move, coordinate carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
6.Create Strategies for Moving Day
Eco-Friendly Cleaning
Moving out of your former home and into a new one typically requires giving both a good cleaning. To be more environmentally friendly, use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products that are packaged sustainably such as in plastic-free or recycled, refillable containers.
This blog post by Going Zero Waste describes 15 Eco-Friendly and Natural Cleaning Products to Try Now.
The EPA also provides helpful information on identifying green cleaning products here: Identifying Greener Cleaner Products.
Pack an Overnight Essentials Bag
Make sure your "first night" essentials such as a toothbrush and bedding are easily accessible so you don't have to do any extra shopping runs to buy new. Also, be sure to plan for your first meal. And if you get take-out, make sure its from a restaurant that uses eco-friendly containers.
7. Settle into Your New Home
Unpacking Sustainably
As you unpack, continue to be mindful of waste. If you rented containers, the companies should come pick them up (easiest option!). If you have carboard boxes, this article offers ideas on what to do if you keep them, where to sell or donate them, as well as tips on recycling.
Also be conscious of the packing supplies such as paper wrap and how you dispose of them. Can they be saved and reused? Do you know anyone who could use them? Can they be recycled?
Creating a Green Home
Now that you are unpacked, take this opportunity to set up your new home with sustainability in mind. Use LED light bulbs, set up recycling and composting systems, continue using green cleaning products and consider some indoor plants to improve air quality.
Also, sign up for paperless billing to reduce the amount of paper you receive in the mail. And to stop junk mail before it starts, this Washington Post article offers advice on How to Keep Junk Mail Out of Your Mailbox Forever.
8. Establish Eco-Friendly Habits
Sustainable Living Practices
After you have settled in, make sure your eco-friendly habits continue and develop into sustainable living practices. Here are some tips:
- Before buying any new furniture, do you have any current furnishings that can be repurposed? Read this blog post for ideas on repurposing furniture.
- If you do buy additional furnishings, consider vintage, choose sustainable materials and support eco-conscious brands.
- If you repaint the walls, use low VOC paints.
- Set yourself up for successful sustainable kitchen practices such as recycling, composting and having plenty of reusable shopping bags on hand.
For more tips, click here to read an article offering 50 Sustainable Living Practices You Need in Your Daily Life.
Additional Resources
For more information, here are some additional resources and helpful links:
- Moving Sustainably: The Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly Moving
- 13 Incredibly Clever Eco-Friendly Moving Tips to Save Money and Stay Organized
- How to Make an Eco-Friendly Move in 2024
- Tips for Downsizing and Decluttering Before a Move
- How to Declutter Your Home Before Moving
- If You are Looking for Free Moving Boxes, These Places Give You the Best Chances
Conclusion
Moving to a new home can be a wonderfully exciting experience and a start to an even more sustainable lifestyle. By following these eco-friendly moving tips, you can significantly reduce your environmental impact as every small action counts towards a more sustainable future.