Top 10 Ways to Green Your Move
Posted by Nicole Hughes on July 22, 2008 at 11:55 am
Summer is the busiest time of the year for moving, and like many of my environmentally-friendly compatriots in the throes of relocation, I’m faced with the dilemma of moving all of my earthly possessions from one state to another while accruing The Least Amount of Carbon Fallout possible.
Throwing stuff away, finding packing materials, renting a gas-guzzling moving truck “ it’s enough to drive one to the brink of eco-guilt. Still, with enough green-inspired forethought, moving doesn’t have to be a ruthless planetary burden.
Here are 10 Ways to Reduce your Impact while Switching Digs:
1) No Need for New Boxes - there are plenty of retailers that you can rescue boxes from, which would otherwise be thrown away. I pick up a few every couple of days from my local grocery store, but you can probably find them at just about any commercial venue since, well, most stuff comes in boxes. If you don’t feel like scouring the neighborhood for used cardboard, check out Usedcardboardboxes.com, a service that will deliver recycled boxes to you for a small fee. You might also consider RECOPACKS from Earthfriendlymoving.com, a zero-waste packing and moving system developed from recycled trash rescued from local landfills.
2) When it comes to packing supplies, less is best, but for the fragile stuff, try these nontoxic and reusable biodegradable peanuts from U-Haul. The BoxShop also offers biodegradable foam chips made from organic cornstarch. Leave it to Good Housekeeping to offer creative ways for reusing packing peanuts, like…spray with your favorite perfume and use as potpourri? Errr, I did say they were creative.
3) Bag Addicts - this one’s for you. I’ve got a million tote bags, hobo bags, purses, clutches, airport bags, weekend-sized and industrial sized-suitcases. Don’t ask me how they all fit in my NYC junior one-bedroom apartment, and some of them rarely ever see the light of day. They have, however, come in mighty handy for packing shoes, towels, clothing, dishes, dishes wrapped in clothing, and lots of other random things that are coming with me from Point A to Point B.
4) Forget the Plastic Wrapping: Use blankets instead to prevent nicks and scrapes on furniture during your move. You can buy them from a thrift store and re-donate them when you’re through (wash first, of course!), or rent them from a mover. For more on living plastic free, check out this inspiring blog.
5) Eco-Friendly Moving Company: If you’re not moving around the corner, you’ll probably need more than a hand truck. Chances are you’re going to have to either hire a mover or rent a gas guzzling moving truck yourself. Consider hiring an eco-friendly moving company like Go Green Moving, which uses low-impact methods and clean fuel technologies for local and intra-state moves.
6) Eco-Friendly Tips for Refurbishing Used Furniture: Out with the old and in with the new is a popular moving motto, but moving can also remind of you of all the things you’ve managed to live without thus far. For instance, if your new apartment has more space, you might suddenly find yourself having to furnish a new room. Vintage furniture is a chic and eco-friendly alternative to buying new. Feeling handy? Check out these eco-friendly tips for refurbishing used furniture from Planet Green along with these organic cotton home textile options from Mod GreedPod.
7) One person’s Trash is another person’s Treasure: You’d be surprised at what people are willing to take off your hands, and there are plenty of ways to do it. Donate your unwanted things to a local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Have a garage sale or list your things on Craigslist. You could also incorporate a little “take away” pile into a going away party. Freecycle, an online forum for donating unwanted items, is also a great way to lighten your moving load without placing it on the environment. If you’re looking to furnish your new place and are strapped for cash, Freecycle is also a great place to find free stuff looking for a new home.
8 ) Alright, not all of your trash is everyone’s treasure: You may be hard-pressed to find that special someone who is willing to use your broken television as an end table, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be recycled! In fact, there’s tons of stuff you can recycle that you might not know about. Check out our list here.
9) What kind of move would be complete without 50 pounds of newspaper? A Green Move! I’ve made the mistake so many times of buying brand new newspapers to wrap my dishes, cups, picture frames and other glass and ceramic fragiles that I don’t want to unpack in pieces. This time, however, I’m saving $$$ and trees by cleaning the streets of newspapers and magazines on the day my neighborhood puts out the paper recycling.
10) Cleaning: It’s probably the least fun part of the move, and you usually have to do it spotless….twice. I say if you’ve gotta do it, do it green with these earth friendly products, which have already been quality tested by our friends at Grist (at least they did some of the dirty work!). When shopping for natural cleaning agents, avoid eco-imposters with these helpful TakePart tips.
Posted by Nicole Hughes on July 22, 2008 at 11:55 am
Summer is the busiest time of the year for moving, and like many of my environmentally-friendly compatriots in the throes of relocation, I’m faced with the dilemma of moving all of my earthly possessions from one state to another while accruing The Least Amount of Carbon Fallout possible.
Throwing stuff away, finding packing materials, renting a gas-guzzling moving truck “ it’s enough to drive one to the brink of eco-guilt. Still, with enough green-inspired forethought, moving doesn’t have to be a ruthless planetary burden.
Here are 10 Ways to Reduce your Impact while Switching Digs:
1) No Need for New Boxes - there are plenty of retailers that you can rescue boxes from, which would otherwise be thrown away. I pick up a few every couple of days from my local grocery store, but you can probably find them at just about any commercial venue since, well, most stuff comes in boxes. If you don’t feel like scouring the neighborhood for used cardboard, check out Usedcardboardboxes.com, a service that will deliver recycled boxes to you for a small fee. You might also consider RECOPACKS from Earthfriendlymoving.com, a zero-waste packing and moving system developed from recycled trash rescued from local landfills.
2) When it comes to packing supplies, less is best, but for the fragile stuff, try these nontoxic and reusable biodegradable peanuts from U-Haul. The BoxShop also offers biodegradable foam chips made from organic cornstarch. Leave it to Good Housekeeping to offer creative ways for reusing packing peanuts, like…spray with your favorite perfume and use as potpourri? Errr, I did say they were creative.
3) Bag Addicts - this one’s for you. I’ve got a million tote bags, hobo bags, purses, clutches, airport bags, weekend-sized and industrial sized-suitcases. Don’t ask me how they all fit in my NYC junior one-bedroom apartment, and some of them rarely ever see the light of day. They have, however, come in mighty handy for packing shoes, towels, clothing, dishes, dishes wrapped in clothing, and lots of other random things that are coming with me from Point A to Point B.
4) Forget the Plastic Wrapping: Use blankets instead to prevent nicks and scrapes on furniture during your move. You can buy them from a thrift store and re-donate them when you’re through (wash first, of course!), or rent them from a mover. For more on living plastic free, check out this inspiring blog.
5) Eco-Friendly Moving Company: If you’re not moving around the corner, you’ll probably need more than a hand truck. Chances are you’re going to have to either hire a mover or rent a gas guzzling moving truck yourself. Consider hiring an eco-friendly moving company like Go Green Moving, which uses low-impact methods and clean fuel technologies for local and intra-state moves.
6) Eco-Friendly Tips for Refurbishing Used Furniture: Out with the old and in with the new is a popular moving motto, but moving can also remind of you of all the things you’ve managed to live without thus far. For instance, if your new apartment has more space, you might suddenly find yourself having to furnish a new room. Vintage furniture is a chic and eco-friendly alternative to buying new. Feeling handy? Check out these eco-friendly tips for refurbishing used furniture from Planet Green along with these organic cotton home textile options from Mod GreedPod.
7) One person’s Trash is another person’s Treasure: You’d be surprised at what people are willing to take off your hands, and there are plenty of ways to do it. Donate your unwanted things to a local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Have a garage sale or list your things on Craigslist. You could also incorporate a little “take away” pile into a going away party. Freecycle, an online forum for donating unwanted items, is also a great way to lighten your moving load without placing it on the environment. If you’re looking to furnish your new place and are strapped for cash, Freecycle is also a great place to find free stuff looking for a new home.
8 ) Alright, not all of your trash is everyone’s treasure: You may be hard-pressed to find that special someone who is willing to use your broken television as an end table, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be recycled! In fact, there’s tons of stuff you can recycle that you might not know about. Check out our list here.
9) What kind of move would be complete without 50 pounds of newspaper? A Green Move! I’ve made the mistake so many times of buying brand new newspapers to wrap my dishes, cups, picture frames and other glass and ceramic fragiles that I don’t want to unpack in pieces. This time, however, I’m saving $$$ and trees by cleaning the streets of newspapers and magazines on the day my neighborhood puts out the paper recycling.
10) Cleaning: It’s probably the least fun part of the move, and you usually have to do it spotless….twice. I say if you’ve gotta do it, do it green with these earth friendly products, which have already been quality tested by our friends at Grist (at least they did some of the dirty work!). When shopping for natural cleaning agents, avoid eco-imposters with these helpful TakePart tips.
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