When you're preparing to move homes, fitting your life into a limited number of cardboard boxes can seem daunting and exhausting. As a result, environmental considerations are often put on the backburner as you strive to change homes with ease and efficiency. Read on to see how being environmentally conscious while packing up your belongings can be synonymous with a less stressful move.
Buying new cardboard boxes can be expensive and also unnecessarily wastes resources. To avoid this waste, consider packing in items you already have, such as suitcases and plastic bins. For the rest of your belongings, consider utilizing recycled boxes via local businesses, or UsedCardboardBoxes.com. If you’re moving into a new neighborhood community, you may want to coordinate with new neighbors and see if you can use their boxes and supplies when they are finished unpacking.
Or, ideally, how about you eliminate cardboard boxes all together? Some companies, such as RePAX, deliver reusable crates for you to pack your belongings in, and then pick them up from your new home when you are done unpacking. No unnecessary waste and no more cardboard box hassle. If you end up using cardboard boxes, however, make sure you recycle them and don’t simply put them on the curb to be picked up by the garbage truck.
As you prepare to move, consider which method of transportation will use the least amount of fuel as you transport your belongings from place to place. Crunch some numbers: renting a van could be more cost effective and less hassle because you can complete your move in less trips. If you’re going to use a moving company, make fuel-efficient moving vehicles a factor when deciding which moving company to go with.
In the months leading up to your move, save bubble wrap, Styrofoam packaging peanuts, and other packing materials to avoid having to buy the materials new. When you’re done with them, don’t simply throw them away – save reusable materials for the future or give them to other people who are planning their move too. These packing materials, Styrofoam specifically, are environmentally costly to make and take hundreds of years to break down if discarded and left in waste fills. There are, however, responsible alternatives, such as biodegradable packing peanuts or using soft items you already own, such as towels, pillows, and t-shirts.
If you recently bought an EYA home, it is easy to be green during your move by using a discount from RePAX specifically for EYA homeowners. RePAX will drop off reusable packing crates at your home and then will pick them up at your new townhome when you are done unpacking. They also sell eco-friendly packaging materials. If you mention that you are an EYA homeowner, you have a few options to save money when you use this company:
- 10 additional Free RePAX containers, or
- 1 week additional Free, or
- All EYA Homeowners receive a Live Green membership at settlement, which gives a 10% discount on all moving packages.
Figure out which option makes the most sense for your move!
Photo from RePAX's Facebook.